Time in a Bottle
by Jarlyfan626
Summary: An alternate version of GH focused on Carly's ZBT with the reveal of Michael's shooting and Dante's paternity as well as the Valentin story. Ensemble fic featuring Jarly, with Clauson, Lusam, Jolivia, Jexis, and Ziz; with creation of Dalyn and Missa.
1. Chapter 1

"Mamma, thank you so much for doing this. We only have a couple of hours before Jax needs to take off." Carly explained, again.

"You're welcome, but Morgan is always welcome. I just can't believe that Jax is taking off, not with Thanksgiving this week, and a wife that is eight months pregnant." Commented Bobbie. Her daughter seemed to be glowing, genuinely happy; Carly was counting the days that she could welcome her own daughter into the world.

"Tell me about it, Kate Howard has been out of Port Charles for six months and he's still picking up after the mess she left. Does he really need to find a new editor anyway? Maxie has been doing amazing; the numbers have increased since she took over." After finding out that Kate had been blackmailed into leaking Crimson spreads Jax fired her from the magazine. He was working on a full time replacement. Maxie Jones was handling things to the best of her ability, with a lot of help from a newly rehired Clarice, and the best first assistant, Lulu Spencer. Jax still felt the magazine needed a little more credibility; he was going to Manhattan to hire some renowned fashionistas. "Besides, at my last check-up Dr Lee said that my baby girl was healthy and strong."

"What about the mother?" Bobbie asked.

"Her mother is struggling with the fact that she's turned into a Macy's Thanksgiving balloon, but otherwise I'm doing well."

"Your stress?"

"Jax and Olivia have taken over the hotel since I've reached my third trimester. The Quartermaine's are actually doing a fairly decent job of keeping Michael out of trouble."

"That's shocking." Bobbie added. "Not that I don't trust Monica."

"It's just Edward." Carly finished her mothers' thought. "I know, but Sonny's business is slow. Jason is keeping Claudia away from me. All and all, I'm living stress free."

"Just what the doctor ordered." Bobbie said relieved. She was not sure how to respond when Carly told her about her blood clotting condition. Any normal person would have terminated the pregnancy and gone directly on the drug protocol that would ensure their survival. Not Carly, she was as stubborn as they came. She dismissed the 50/50 odds as if it were a discussion of a coin toss. Any why not? Michael's prognosis was much worse and he was now awake, and living the life of a normal seventeen-year-old boy. He was a senior in high school who was planning college, driving around town with his friends, and debating which girl he was going to take to prom.

"I should get going, big night planned. Morgan, come here and give your mom a kiss goodbye." She shouted to her nine-year that was entranced with the video game on the screen in front of him. Within the minutes that it took to drop him off and catch up with her mother, Morgan had somehow been able to get the Wii up and running, and into the second level of the game.

"Ewe, mom!!" He whined. He dropped the controller, after reaching a safe point, to give his mom a hug. Carly sneak a kiss on his forehead. He used the back of his hand to wipe it off.

"You have fun with Grandma Bobbie tonight. I'll be here in the morning to pick you up." She instructed.

As Morgan started walking back to the television set Carly stopped him. "I love you."

"I love you too, mom."

Bobbie chimed in, "and I love you, sweetheart. Have a good time tonight, but not too good. We don't need her coming a month early."

"I love you too, mamma."

As the door closed behind her, Carly grabbed the rail outside the brownstone. A sudden bought of dizziness struck. She had been struggling with them for a couple days, afraid that her family would freak out if they knew, she kept it to herself. 'Close your eyes and count to ten' she instructed herself.

The dizziness passed, she walked to her car and drove back to the house. The house was newly built and designed completely by Carly, regardless of the say Jax thought he had. Luckily he was quite agreeable. It had only been a couple of months since her, Jax and Morgan had moved in. She had hoped that Michael would have come with, but he was still concerned about how his impulse control issues would affect his mothers' health. She walked up to the door and noticed it cracked open.

"Jax," she shouted, wondering if he had gotten home early.

"Not exactly." She heard a familiar voice answer back. She walked into the living room to find her brother-in-law sprawled out on the couch with his feet on the coffee table.

Carly snickered. "There goes the 100,000 dollar security system Jason put in here. What do you want, Jerry?"

"I heard by dear brother was off to Manhattan tonight, I thought you might want some family for the holiday."

"I think I can manage." She responded coldly. She hadn't heard from Jerry since a car bomb almost killed him and Jason in April. Jerry disappeared from the garage, she had guessed to avoid questions from the cops about his faked death only months earlier. "What are you really doing here?"

"I have some business; I was hoping that you could keep Sonny and Jason off my back."

"Why would I do that?" Carly asked. She already had regrets about helping Jax get Jerry off of charges after the Metro Court Hostage Crisis.

"What if I promised you answers?"

"What kind of answers?"

"Watch this." He handed her a DVD, the swirl design on the cover looked familiar for some reason. "Carly, I really do care about you and your family. Remember that." She watched him close the door behind him.

"Psycho." She said aloud. Looking at the DVD she let curiosity get the better of her. She went to the television set and pressed play.

'Hello Carly. I do hope to be able to meet my niece at some point. However, for that to happen, I need your help. Jason has found a link between myself and Ian Devlin. We had worked together before the late doctor met his ultimately demise, and we technically were working together the night Michael was shot.

I know this cannot be easy to hear, but Claudia Zacchara hired me to take out Sonny. I had my reasons for not doing the job myself, and foolishly brought Ian Devlin into it. I'm sorry, I half wish I was the shooter that night because I never would have gone through with the shot knowing your child was in the warehouse. I tried to get to him when I heard of Michaels' attendance.

There's nothing I can say to rectify the damage that has been done, or the year that my mistake cost your son. Just please, don't blame my brother for my mistakes.'

As the DVD ended Carly starred at the screen. Her brain moving a million miles per second. Claudia, the woman now married to Sonny, Michaels' father, was responsible for the hit that almost killed her son. She was going to kill her, but how? A gunshot to the head would be poetic justice. Too humane, though. More torture should be involved. She could send her flying off a cliff, at least then she could savor the thought that Claudia we revisit every sin committed before she died. Alternatively, how about hanging her from a meat cleaver in a walk-in freezer, she could listen to her beg for her life for awhile, besides it was a classic.

"Carly, what are you watching?" Jax asked as he stepped into the room.

She wasn't sure how to respond, she wasn't sure how he would react. Jax wasn't on the best of terms with his brother, but could he handle this?

"Are you okay?"

She struggled to form the words. "Claudia, she hired Devlin."

"Who told you?" Jax blurted out.

"Who told me? You mean you knew?"

"No, of course not. I mean how do you know? Claudia, really?" He tried back pedaling.

"I can't believe you."

"Carly, I can explain." He tried.

"Oh, really? I'd love to hear this. Please, let's start with when? Before or after Michael woke up?"

"Before. Jerry sent me a DVD. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Too late." She said angrily.

"It was right before I found out you were pregnant, then I found out about the blood condition. I was afraid for your life." It was the only justification he had, he struggled at first with telling her the truth, afraid that she would hold him partially responsible, but after finding out that too much stress could kill her keeping the secret became a matter of life and death.

"Instead you let my seventeen-year-old son move in with the psycho that put him in the coma!" She screamed. She was never completely comfortable with Michael living under the same roof as Claudia, but until now had no reason to believe she was a physical threat to her son. Luckily he was now living with the Quartermaine's.

"I never wanted that to happen, and he's safe now."

"You could have stopped it, told me, told Jason!"

"But then Jason would have gone after my brother."

"Out." Carly pushed Jax toward the door. "Get out now!"

"Carly, you need to calm down."

"You need to get out of my face!"

"This isn't good for the baby, or you." He tried.

"No, you know what's not good for my baby, letting him anywhere near Claudia, you knew that, and you let it happen anyway! Why? Because your child was too important to risk. Was it ever about protecting me, or was it about protecting your baby and your brother!"

"That's not fair." He shot back, "I asked you to terminate the pregnancy, I told you our family was complete. I didn't need you to risk your life to give me a baby. But dammit, I'm going to protect my family."

Carly could feel the dizziness resurfacing. "Just get out!" She screamed, pleaded.

"Not now, Carly, not like this." He knew this was the last thing she needed, he was afraid that if he walked out now there wasn't going to be anyone to come back to.

"Please, go."

"Only if you promise to calm down."

Carly's eyes shut tight, fighting off the nausea. She took a breath, opened her eyes, and calmly pointed to the door, "go." As soon as the door shut Carly collapsed on the sofa. The room was spinning and her head pounding. There was only one person she knew that could make this better. Her fingers trembled as she dialed the telephone.


	2. Chapter 2

Jason and Johnny were preparing for the shipment landing, since the warehouse closed; Johnny's garage was the newest landing spot. There was an hour before Dante was coming from the docks. Johnny was securing the perimeter making sure that there was no usual activity when Jason's cell phone started ringing. Johnny stuck his head in through the doorway.

"Are you sure you should be answering that?"

"It's Carly, I have to." He picked up the receiver and heard heavy breathing in the background. "Carly? Carly!"

The breathing stopped and the phone dropped.

"Carly?" He shouted.

Johnny took his cell phone out to dial the emergency center. Jason nodded in approval.

"Hello." He answered as the operator picked up. "I need an ambulance at 438 Marshall Court, there's an unconscious pregnant woman with a possible brain clot."

The operator grilled Johnny with specifics, "I don't know, I'm not there." He answered; Jason grabbed the phone from him.

"Is there someone coming?" Jason asked.

"We have a unit on the way. Does anyone know if she's breathing? Does she have a heart beat?"

"I don't know." As Jason answered he started hearing something from the other line. He handed the operator back to Johnny and listened carefully, he heard footsteps coming closer to the receiver.

"Mom," the frightened voice of her seventeen-year-old called out.

"Michael!" Jason yelled. "Michael, pick up the phone!"

"Hello," Michael answered. "Jason?"

"Yeah, it's me. How's your mom?"

"She's on the couch, she's not waking up." His voice was breaking up in fear.

"Michael, help is on the way. Can you tell me if she's breathing?"

Jason thought his own heart was going to stop beating waiting for the answer. "She is, but it's shallow."

"Okay, good. Do you know how to check for a pulse?"

"Yeah."

"Count the heartbeats, I'll tell you when to stop!" Johnny relayed the information from Jason to the operator.

"Michael, stay with her until I get there. I'm on my way." Jason assured him. As he hung up, he took a moment to silently let himself freak out.

"I can drive." Johnny offered. Jason nodded in agreement.

***********

The ambulance was sitting in the driveway when they arrived. Carly was being carried from on the stretcher hooked up to oxygen. Jason watched as she was loaded into the back of the van. Johnny ran passed into the living room to check on Michael. Michael was sitting on the floor next to the couch. Seemingly, not moving since hanging up the phone.

"I can't." He said.

"You can't what?" Johnny prodded.

"See her like that. The guy asked if I wanted to ride with. I can't."

"That's fine. Jason can go, I can take you." Johnny tried reassuring.

"Okay."

"Okay, let's go." Johnny reached his hand out. Michael grabbed on, and Johnny helped him to a standing position. He was sure that Michael was in shock. As Johnny passed Jason in the driveway he pointed to the van. "Go ahead, we'll meet you there."

"Thanks! Johnny can you call Olivia? See if she can get in touch with Jax, Sonny, and Bobbie?"

"Yeah, sure thing."

Jason stepped into the back of the ambulance and sat next to Carly. She lay motionless, except the slight rising and falling of her chest indicating the life she was clinging onto. Her eyes gently shut, as if in a deep sleep. The only indication of distress was the mask covering her air passages. He hoped that she could hold on. Dr. Patrick Drake was already being paged at the hospital to be there upon her arrival. Dr. Kelly Lee was being called as her OBGYN.

As he studied her eyelids he felt a gentle clasp on his hand.

"Carly?" He whispered.

She squeezed a little harder.

"Carly, come back to me."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she lifted the mask away from her mouth.

"Jason." Her voice was weak.

"I'm here, you'll be okay."

"Jason, don't let them hurt my baby."

What? Jason thought. "Don't worry about that." He said.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you, too." He responded. It was true, completely. He loved her more than life itself.

"Excuse me, sir." The EMT interrupted.

For a moment Jason's gaze was directed away from Carly as he looked over at the EMT. "What?"

"Who are you talking to?"

Jason wasn't sure how to answer that. He eyes bounced back to Carly, her eyes closed and mask back in place. I'm going crazy, he thought. He took a breath, "I don't know. Maybe a ghost."

"We're here." The driver yelled back. The EMTs opened the back and brought her to the elevator to the tenth floor. Jason attempted to stay out of everybody's way, but his stare directed on Carly, praying for any indication that he didn't just lost his mind.

As the elevator doors glided open, they were met by a team of doctors. Patrick Drake in the lead demanding records and ordering tests to be done. Dr Robin Drake, formally Scorpio when Jason dated her, took Jason by the hand. "She's in good hands."

He just shook his head, not trusted what words may come out. He followed the stretcher with his gaze until she was out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

Claudia answered the phone.

"Claudia, I need to talk to Sonny." Johnny responded.

"He's in a meeting right now, besides John, he's going to be pissed. Dante called saying you and Jason flaked out."

"Fine, then let me talk to him."

"You better have a really compelling reason, and banging the cougar isn't going to work." She couldn't believe that her brother and Olivia Falconeri were still dating. Especially after finding out that Sonny's latest hire was Olivia's son, Dante. Who happened to be the same age as Johnny.

"Claudia, please!"

Claudia opened the door from the foyer to the living room. Sonny was sitting on the couch with his lawyer, Dianne Miller. As she heard the door creek open Dianne stopped mid-sentence.

"Not now." Sonny remarked.

"It's Johnny, it sounds important."

Sonny looked annoyed, but since Ric allocations that Claudia may have had something to do with Michaels' shooting he often did around her. He didn't have any tangible proof, she knew that, or she'd probably be dead, even if she was carrying Sonny's baby.

"I'll take it on the terrace." Claudia handed the phone over and he walked outside.

"Give me one good reason that you are not landing a shipment right now." Sonny ordered.

"Carly's unconscious, she was brought to General Hospital." He answered.

"What?" Uttered Sonny. "Was there any sign of a struggle? Anyone else in the house? What about Jax? Where is Jax?"

"No, there was no forced entry. No sign of a struggle, and nobody there until Michael came over."

"You mean Candy boys wife is eight months pregnant, with a blood condition, and he's nowhere to be found?"

"Apparently, Olivia is trying to get a hold of him. Meanwhile Michael is sitting in the chapel and Jason is leaving tread marks in the waiting room."

"I'll be right there."

***********

"Jason, can we talk?" Patrick looked apprehensive.

"Yeah, how is she?" Jason asked. He hated waiting, he wanted to see her, be with her.

"Not good, we don't have a lot of time, and a choice has to be made."

Jason looked around the room. There was no Bobbie, no Jax. Nobody but him. "What choice?"

"We found a clot in the vein that runs from the hippocampus to the brain stem. The oxygen to the brain stem is severely threatened and if we don't remove the clot her organs will shut down and Carly will die."

'Carly will die.' The three words Jason prayed he'd never hear. "Then remove the clot."

"In order to do so we need to stabilize her. Bring her blood pressure down and prep her for brain surgery. She would lose the baby."

So, there it was the choice that he had to make. Save Carly, or save the baby. His heart was screaming out to save Carly, no matter the cost. "If the baby was taken out, what chances would she have in being healthy?"

"Actually, as far as Dr Lee can tell, the baby is fine. She's 36 weeks along, not even what we consider premature at this point."

"And if we stabilize Carly and go through with the surgery, what is the likelihood of success?"

"Honestly, not great."

Jason sat down on the couch behind him. A tear formed, falling from the corner of his eye down his cheek. "I suppose the 50/50 odds I was told in April are going to sound good in comparison."

"Yeah." Patrick said, taking the seat next to him. "If we go into surgery now she has a 30 percent chance of survival. If we wait and take the baby out and then try, the odds fall below five percent."

Jason was normally good at staying calm in difficult situations. He was known for being Stone Cold, but he felt like his world was caving in on him. He wanted to scream from the rooftop.

Patrick continued, "I know this is difficult, but we have to move, one way or the other or we're definitely loosing both of them."

"I can't." The only thing he could do was shut down. "Jax or Bobbie should be doing this."

"They're not here. And you know that she would trust you with this."

"What would you do?" Jason asked.

"Looking at the odds? I'd take out the baby." Patrick answered. "If it were Robin, I think I'd risk anything to save her."

"Even if it meant loosing Emma?" He asked.

Patrick took a deep breath. "I don't envy your position Jason. But, if it helps. Take out the numbers, and look at the situation. Then remember that this is Carly. This woman brought Michael back by sheer force of will. She never gave up."

"Less than five percent." Jason repeated. "I can't make this decision."

"You have to."

"She told me to save the baby."

"What, when?" Patrick asked.

"You wouldn't believe me?" Jason recalled the look on the EMTs face

"We're saving the baby? I'll let Dr Lee know."

His throat knotted, unable to speak he nodded yes.

"Can you sign the papers?" Jason reached out his hands, clasping the pen and the clipboard. He scribbled his name by the X.

"Jason." Patrick offered a sympathetic smile. "Do you want me to get Monica?"

"Please." Jason going to his mother for support was a fairly new development, but she helped immensely after Michael was shot. Jason sat motionless, listening to himself breath, remembering the relaxation techniques he tried to teach Carly when Michael was going in for surgery. Usually, they came naturally to him, but he struggled to keep him mind wandering to the worse possible scenario.

Johnny gently pushed the door open, he noticed Jason starring out into space.

"Michaels' in the chapel, Sonny is on his way. Olivia called back; Bobbie is leaving Morgan with Lucas and will be here soon."

Jason just nodded.

"Has Patrick come back yet?"

"Yeah."

"Brain clot?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah."

Not one of a lot of words on a normal basis, Johnny wasn't expecting much, but maybe a little more explanation. He was worried, he hadn't realized how much he cared about Carly. When he showed up in Port Charles his life was spinning out of control. He was taken in by the Spencer's. Lulu loved him inexplicably, her father Luke became a male role model of sorts, saw him standing on the edge and dared him to jump off. Carly was the strong female guidance that he lost after his own mother was killed. She didn't like his relationship with her little cousin because of the danger she knew it inherently created, but she understood and she listened. After Claudia came back, and Michael was shot, Johnny kept him distance from Carly; he knew that he could never make up to her his role in what happened to her son.

"Michael should be back soon. Unless there's anything else you'd like me to do, I'm going to go back to Sonny's and stay with Claudia." Johnny said code for 'try to keep her away from here.'

"No, that's fine." Johnny wasn't sure he should leave Jason alone, he'd never seen him this heartbroken. Even after Michaels' shooting Jason appeared to hang on to his strength, probably for Carly's sake.

"I can have Max bring your truck over from the garage."

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Johnny knew he didn't have to ask the next question, it slipped out anyway, "It's bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Jason answered, but then reassuring himself went on to say. "But she's stubborn. If anyone could pull through, it's Carly."

"You're right." Bobbie said, walking through the door. "Patrick already caught me up. And if it's any consolation, I'm not sure I could have made the same decision. But I'm glad you did."

Bobbie was optimistic, she knew the odds were against Carly, but that's when Carly prevailed. She was an unstoppable force, and Bobbie was going to hang on to that. Besides, this was her daughter, and she knew in her heart that she would know if Carly was slipping away from her. Until she felt that pang of separation, she had no reason to worry; everything was going to be fine.

Jason stood up to give Bobbie a hug. Johnny ducked out of the room. "I still don't know." Jason confessed. "But I know it's what she wanted."

Bobbie smiled, "So trust her."

Michael walked through the open door. "Dad is talking with Dr Drake now." He explained. "Is it true, Jason?"

"Is what true?" Jason asked.

"You chose to save the baby over my mom?"

"Michael, it's more complicated than that." Bobbie explained.

"I was here." Michael said "why didn't you consult me?" He was angry. He was angry with the baby as soon as he woke up, for a brief period he thought the baby was a way of replacing him. As he realized that his mother still loved him with every fiber of her being, he realized that he wasn't being replaced. However, he was told of the risks that carrying this baby caused and he couldn't help but blame the baby for the illness that his mother was living with, and the risk it put on her.

"Because this was a decision that nobody wanted to make." Answered Jason.

"Because I'm a kid?" Michael asked. "I'm seventeen. In a couple months I'll be eighteen, an adult. I'm her son, you're nothing! You gave up your right to make these decisions when you handed us over to dad!"

"Enough, Michael." He heard Sonny say. "Could you please go with your grandmother for a moment? I need to talk to Jason."

Michael obeyed without argument. Michael followed Bobbie into the hallway where she greeted him with a giant hug. "She's going to be okay, Michael. He didn't choose against her. He gave the baby the best chance, and is trusting Carly to do the rest."

"I don't believe this, what were you thinking?" Sonny yelled inside the waiting room.

Jason sat back down, he knew Sonny had to let his anger out, but didn't have the energy for a one-on-one confrontation.

"She trusted you, Carly trusted you with her life. She would do anything, anything to protect you and you promised to do the same! You were the one that I expected to make the hard decisions, the ones not even she could."

"I know." Jason uttered.

"But what? If you just would have convinced her to terminate the pregnancy when I asked you to, this wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't be here."

So that's it, Jason thought, Sonny blamed him for letting Carly continue with the pregnancy. Nobody was going to tell her otherwise. Especially because it was obvious that this was her last chance to have the girl she always wanted. "Are you done?" Jason asked calmly.

"I hate it here." Sonny confessed.

"Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Jason had to duck out as the Spencer's filled the room, he felt the walls closing in on him. He needed a trip to the roof top to get some air, and try to recollect his thought. He sat on the ledge thinking about Carly, the girl he met at the bar. The one that knew him as a person before knowing the brain injury. She was the one who taught him to see pictures. The person that taught him what family was. He couldn't remember a time when she wasn't a part of his life.

"Jason, do you mind?" Monica asked.

"No, not at all." He said, brushing away the condensation on his cheek. "Have we heard anything?"

"Her baby girl has been born, and is doing great. Bobbie went to the nursery to sit with her."

"Have we heard from Jax yet?" Jason didn't really care to see the Aussie, but it was his daughter that Jason saved.

"Bobbie said that Carly and Jax were supposed to have a date tonight and then he was taking his jet to Manhattan for work. Olivia has been trying to reach him for hours, last I heard, no luck."

"That sounds about right, just when Carly needs him, he takes off."

"She needs you, Jase. Truth be told, I think you need her too."

"Is she being prepped for surgery?" Jason asked. Now that Dr Lee was done with her part it was up to Patrick to do the life saving part, hopefully, it wasn't too late.

"Yes," Monica being the chief of staff had its advantages. She knew everything going on in the hospital, and was the first to hear of any updates while she was on duty. "I'm not going to lie. This is a lot of stress on her. Going from the c-section to the clot removal. Her organs have already been compromised."

Monica could see that Jason already knew everything she was saying. His heart was breaking. "I know, but I don't think she would have survived recovery if she would have lost the baby."

She was devastated after her last miscarriage, he wanted so badly to celebrate this pregnancy with her. Unfortunately it was clouded by the deep fear that he could lose his best friend or 'essential person' as Carly would say.

Monica knew the devastation that came from losing one person after another. Over a year ago her husband died from a heart attack. That one stung especially hard because she was the one operating on him. Allan was her best friend and partner, and although they seemed to be always fighting, they knew that they always had each other's back. A part of her died when he did. Shortly after the unthinkable happened and she lost her daughter in a brutal manner. Emily's death sent Monica's life in a tailspin. She pushed Jason away, the only child she had left, blaming him for Emily's murder. She found the only way to get through her day by day existence was to pour vodka into her water bottle. Carly's own personal hell came when she lost her first baby with Jax. Shortly after Michael was shot and the family was told he was never going to wake up. Monica wasn't sure which was worse knowing your child was gone but relieved that they found some peace in the afterworld or knowing the child was stuck themselves, much like Jason was several years earlier.

"I wouldn't blame her." Monica confessed. "But, thanks to you her baby is safe and well. Michael is awake, Morgan is healthy. She has a husband who loves her, and a best friend that would move heaven and hell to make her happy."

Jason took in everything Monica was saying, he couldn't help but give in the helplessness he felt now. "What if it's too late? Just as she's about to get everything she's ever wanted, her world goes tumbling down?"

"Carly wouldn't give up on you, so please don't give up on her."

Jason smiled. He knew that was true. If it were him instead she'd be causing a scene in the waiting room, throwing anyone out that had even the tiniest shred of doubt that he wasn't going to make it. "I'm not, not really, it's just that number, less than five percent."

"What do you feel? You two have a connection stronger than anything I've ever known. What is your heart telling you?"

"All it's telling me is that I can't handle losing her."

***********

Bobbie sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery cradling her granddaughter. She fell instantly for the beauty, her piercing sapphire eyes starred back inquisitively as if she was coming up with some elaborate plot. Just like her mother, and just like her mother she was sure to be a handful. She was tiny, 5 lbs 15 ounces, seemingly helpless, but in the perfect position to wrap anyone she wished around her baby-doll finger. Bobbie glanced up at the window, and motioned her brother to come in.

Luke, whose eyes always proved he was up to something, looked sullen. "I wanted to check on my great niece." He lied.

"You wanted to check on your sister." She corrected.

He flashed his dazzling smile, "maybe that too."

"I have no reason not to believe that she's not going to make a full recovery."

"You're right." Encouraged Luke, "but..."

"But nothing. She wouldn't bring this child into this life and leave her."

"She's going to need a name." Luke insisted.

"And Carly's going to name her."

Luke took a moment to reassess his strategy. Bobbie was right, there was a shot that Carly could pull through, and his sister had every right to hang onto that. He just needed to be there for her if she didn't. "Her hair color is stunning."

She had strawberry blond ringlets at the back of her neck and fuzz on top her head. Bobbie commented, "She has her grandmothers' red hair, hopefully she doesn't grow out of it like Michael did."

"Yeah, Lulu was almost jet black when she was born. I almost didn't think she was mine." He teased.

"I remember Laura's baby girl. Laura always wanted a girl, like Carly did. There's a special bond between a mother and her daughter. I'm glad I got to share that with Carly." Bobbie felt herself slipping into nostalgia, "and BJ, however short it was. I would have never traded that time, even for all the pain her death caused."

Luke tried putting his arm around her. Bobbie had made a tough choice when she gave her firstborn up for adoption. Later, after a relationship bloomed with Tony Jones, Bobbie adopted his children BJ and Lucas. BJ died very young due to a car accident on the school bus. Not long after that Carly came back in her mothers' life, turning everything Bobbie knew upside down. It took time, but they were finally able to have the relationship that Bobbie wanted with her daughter. Bobbie pushed Luke's hand away.

"That's not happening to Carly. She's a fighter, a survivor. A Spencer."

Luke remembered the day when that catchphrase really meant something. Spencer's defied the boundaries of mortality. It wasn't until his own heart rebelled against him and two operations later that he realized that even the strongest must succumb to the laws of nature.


	5. Chapter 5

Michael walked the halls of the hospital. Pacing back and forth. He eyed the vending machine, and normally would dive in for the snack that had the thirty year expiration date, just like his mom. She, too, liked the junk, the more processed, the better.

He couldn't get the image of his mother lying motionless on the couch out of his mind. He was so afraid she was dead, but her stuck inside herself was worse. Probably because he felt what she did. For a year he was stuck inside himself, unable to sense the outside world. As he sat next to her listening to her draw breath, feeling her heart beat he felt what she must have for over a year, complete helplessness.

"Michael." Kristina greeted him.

"Oh my God, I'm so glad to see you!" Kristina was his best friend, not that he'd ever admit to his friends at school that his closest friend was his little sister. "I thought you were away at school, you know the one-way-ticket-to-Yale Prep?"

She giggled "Something like that. I'm home for Thanksgiving, and mom told me that I could find you here."

"Bad news travels fast in this town." Michael commented.

"Apparently my mom was at the police station when the 9-1-1 call came in. When Lucky rushed out she called dad to confirm it was Carly." Kristina's mom was the district attorney of Port Charles, Alexis Davis. "How is your mom? More importantly, how are you?"

"I can answer both questions with I don't know. I thought my impulse was getting better, but I _really_ want to hit something."

"Your impulse has gotten better, or else you would have." Kristina tried to joke.

"I guess that I wish I was there, you know. I could have stopped him." Michael tried explaining, leaving out valuable information.

"What are you talking about?" Kristina asked.

"There was a better chance of my mom surviving if they didn't take the baby out." He told her.

Kristina just had to look at Michael to see the anger, fear, resentment he was feeling. "Better chance, it doesn't mean she doesn't have a chance." Kristina tried helping.

Michael felt himself tear up, he fought back. "Why?" He asked. "Why did she even have to have this baby? Were me and Morgan not enough? She knew from day 1 that this could happen, and she went through with it anyway."

"I don't know what to say."

"And why didn't Jason talk her out of it? If anyone could it was him. Now he's acting all heartbroken. And the guy who got her pregnant isn't even here. Jax has been on my case since the moment I woke up not to upset her, and he's nowhere to be found!"

"Is that what you were doing in the chapel?" Kristina asked. "Figuring out who was to blame?"

"At least I'm not blaming God." Michael joked. "Not yet."

"Michael, do you want out of here?" Kristina thought maybe a change in scenery would help. He was angry and not quite thinking straight, and that was never good.

"I need to hear how the surgery went first."

"Okay, do you want to go inside with your family?"

"Only if you come with."

Inside the waiting room Sonny sat next to Olivia on the couch. Olivia was still periodically checking her cell phone to see if Jax had attempted to contact her. Lucky, Lulu, Ethan, and Nikolas were sitting at the table playing a game of cards. Michael walked over to the table.

"Poker?" He asked.

"No, 31." Lulu answered.

"And it's nothing like 21." Ethan commented in his thick Australian accent. He worked at a casino, on a normal basis is a card shark; he was completely out of his element with this game. Michael and Kristina pulled up seats.

"How do you play?" Kristina asked.

"Would you like to be dealt in?" Nikolas asked his cousin.

"Sure, Michael too."

Lulu explained that the key of the game was to get as close to 31 points in your hand as possible, all in one suit. Face cards counted as ten points, and aces as eleven. Each player is dealt three cards and in a clockwise pattern they take turns drawing and discarding a card. They could pick the top card from either the draw pile or discard pile. To win a player either got 31 or got close enough and challenged the other players who all got 1 more round to try to improve their hand.

"Sounds easy enough." Michael said. "I get to see my cards, right?"

"Of course." Lucky commented.

"But no counting cards." Ethan instructed. Lulu clocked him upside the head with an open hand. They decided to play with M&M's from the vending machine. Each started with three and if they lost a round they lost one, if someone got 31 each of they players lost one. As soon as someone lost all three they were out.

Unfortunately Lulu hadn't gotten around to explaining that before Nikolas had already ate his. Kristina handed him three more before they started. As they were playing Lucky was entertaining them with the six-year-old logic that his eldest son, Cameron, was feeding him for why he thought it was okay to take his girlfriend out on a date to the park without parental supervision.

"All right, I'm challenging." Lulu announced.

"You're kidding me, we only had 2 rounds!" Ethan objected.

"You get one more." Lucky gloated, his hand wasn't fabulous, but he liked watching Ethan squirm. He wasn't sure he was ever going to have the relationship with Ethan that he had with his other siblings, but every since Ethan lead Lucky and Lulu into helping rescue Luke from Helena Cassadine in September Lucky felt like he had to give Ethan more of a chance.

As they revealed their cards Michael noticed he had the highest score. He smiled realizing his last M&M was still holding on. Nikolas dealt the next hand. As he was shuffling Michael looked over at his father who was starring off into an abyss. He started feeling guilty for the fun he was having. He spent the next hand quietly listening on to Lulu tell her brother's all about the date she was going to be going on with Doctor Matt Hunter. Lucky pretended to be offended by this, but secretly he liked the idea of Lulu with Matt, it was much better than when she was dating Johnny Zacchara. After a few rounds, Kristina revealed her score of 31, the ace, jack, and ten of hearts.

"I'm out." Michael said. "I think I'm going to go for a walk."

Sonny stood up to go after him.

"Dad, I don't think that's a good idea." Kristina suggested. It was obvious that Sonny was just as angry as Michael. Maybe even more so, a confrontation could lead to disaster.

"I'll go," Lucky said. "I'm out anyway."

Lucky found Michael over by the nurse's station, sitting on the bottom step of the staircase that connected the 10th and 11th floor rooms.

"Would you like to talk?" Lucky asked.

"No, actually, I want to hit something."

"We can do that too." Michael looked confused, Lucky walked towards the PT gym. Somehow Michael had willed his way into forgetting about that place. He spent too much time there struggling to get back what he had lost in the year he was in the coma. Lucky grabbed a pad and slipped his arm through the strap and held it in front of his midsection. "Hit me." He instructed.

Michael took a sloppy swing.

"Oh come on," Lucky egged on. "Hit me."

Michael through his right arm a little harder.

"Good, again."

Michael punched again, throwing Lucky back a touch. Lucky repositioned his feet and invited Michael to go again. He threw his arm harder, just like Morgan taught him from karate, and then flung his left arm forward. Soon after he was throwing punches both right and left as hard and as fast as he could. Lucky saw as he released his tension his guard fell. Soon his punches grew weaker and Michael turned to a puddle on the floor. Lucky wrapped his arms around his cousin and let him cry on his shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

Monica felt her pager go off. "I bet that's it. Are you ready for this?"

"Anything is better than waiting, right?" As he said the words he regretted it. As long as he was on the roof top he could hold onto some hope that Carly would be okay. When he walked into the waiting room he'd be stepping back into reality, and possibly into a reality that he wasn't sure he could live with.

"Let's go." Monica led Jason back into the fluorescent lighted halls of the hospital.

Jason was in the room for a mere minute when Dr Drake stepped in.

"How did it go?" Sonny asked.

"We were successful in removing the clot." He answered. "She's in recovery now, but there's no way of knowing how the lack of oxygen may have affected her until we run more tests."

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked.

"Is she going to be different? Lose her memory?" Lulu asked, Nikolas held her close.

"Maybe, if she wakes up." Patrick answered.

"She's going to." Bobbie said, standing in the doorway.

"We're going to keep running tests. Within 48 hours we should know one way or another if she'll wake up." He said finally, brushing shoulders with Bobbie on his way out.

***********

Patrick rushed to the dressing room. He threw his scrubs on the floor to take a shower. As the water washed over him he thought back to his early days in Port Charles. He had fallen for Robin quickly, but she was just as afraid of commitment as he was. He decided to show Robin just how much of a womanizer he was by going out with the one person in PC that she despised, Carly Corinthos. Carly was still trying to get over Sonny and needed a distraction from going back and repeating her toxic cycle. They went out a couple of times, and got as far as undressing each other, but in the end they figured out that they were better off as friends.

Amidst the drops of water from the shower head he felt himself tear, and let himself cry. He wanted to save her. He was the great Doctor Patrick Drake, master of the impossible. No surgery was too complex. He turned off the shower and patted himself down with the towel. He was slipping his wallet into his back pocket when Robin came in.

She wrapped his arms around him. "Jakes?" She asked, having already arranged having Maxie and Spinelli babysit Emma.

"Oh yeah." Jakes was the city bar that was often frequented by the General Hospital staff after a hard day on the job.

***********

Jason stopped by the nursery before heading to Carly's room. Bobbie was back in the rocking chair with the little girl in her arms. Jason went inside for a better look. She looked so much like Michael, tiny, but perfect. He placed his finger in her palm and she squeezed. Jason smiled. Carly was right, this girl was going to be able to get Uncle Jason to do anything she wanted. Bobbie offered Jason to hold her. As he wrapped his arms around Carly's baby he felt a sense of closeness to her. A security that as long as she was here so was a part of Carly.

Outside the nursery Jason heard screaming.

"Where have you been?" Sonny yelled.

"Where is she?" Jax shouted back.

"You abandoned your wife, yet again. Why should I tell you anything?" Sonny asked.

Jason walked out of the nursery still holding baby girl Jax. Jax starred at the little girl, with a twinkle in his eye he asked, "is that her?"

"Yes, that's your daughter." Bobbie announced. Jason transferred her into his father's arms. "Who is she?" Bobbie asked.

"This," Jax answered. "This is Britni Jane Jax." One evening Jax and Carly spent hours going over names for their daughter. Finally Carly decided to show homage to both of their mothers' by giving her daughter her mothers' initials and his mothers' name.

Bobbie smiled, "BJ."

Jason saw the love pouring from Jax to his little girl. It was intoxicating, but there were still answers that he needed.

"Jason?" Jax asked. "How's Carly?"

"Not good. Do you have any idea what happened?"

"She told me that you were supposed to have a romantic dinner aboard the Hunted Star tonight." Bobbie added.

"We were. I got home early hoping to surprise her. I had flower pedals, candles and sparkling cider that I had hoped to decorate the room with."

"Can we skip over this part?" Sonny asked.

"When I got home she was sitting in front of the television. Her eyes were glazed over as if she wasn't there. I saw a DVD cover with the same pattern that came from the DVD that Jerry sent me."

"Ric said all those DVDs were destroyed." Jason commented.

"I can only assume Jerry sent it. I don't know why, but she started asking me about Michaels' shooting, and it came out that I knew about Jerry's involvement and didn't tell her." Jax was hoping to fudge the truth to not include the detail that neither Jason nor Sonny knew for certain, Claudia's involvement.

"So you got her upset, and then what? Left? Knowing that she could throw a clot and stroke." Sonny questioned.

"She told me to. Me standing there was doing absolutely nothing but making her angrier." Jax defended himself.

Feeling the tension grow Bobbie offered to take Britni back to the nursery.

"Where have you been for the past five hours?" Sonny asked.

"I took my jet to Manhattan, while aboard I turned my phone off. After checking into the hotel I got a message from the concierge that Carly had been hospitalized. I came back as soon as I got the message."

Jason looked back at Jax with his killer glare. There was something about his story that wasn't adding up. If Jax had left when Carly was enraged why would he not have called someone? What made him think to leave town? Knowing her blood pressure was an issue, how could he leave his phone off?

"Visit your daughter, but stay away from Carly." Jason commanded, and then walked away.

Shortly after Jason left Sonny went searching for Michael. Jax walked the hallway to the nursery and watched as Bobbie held onto her granddaughter. Luke came up from behind Jax.

"Luke, how's my wife?" He cried.

"At this point, only the guy upstairs knows for certain. She had a blood clot, it's been removed. The doctor's don't know the extent of the damage, or if Carolyn will wake up." Luke was the only one who still referred to Carly by the name Bobbie gave to her before giving her up for adoption. "Excuse me, but I need to be with my sister."

Jax decided to go to the roof top to catch his breath. He knew as soon as he closed the door that something was going to happen. She was furious. He had never seen Carly that angry with anybody. On the way to Manhattan he kept telling himself that she was better off without him. There was nothing that he could do. He opened the door to the exit and saw his brother looking back at him.

"Wonderful, the perfect opportunity to send you flying off this building Jerry."

"Yes, that would be justice, and there's really nothing I can say right now. I know that." Jerry understood.

"Then what are you doing here? And why would you even consider sending Carly that DVD?"

Jax asked his brother.

"I'm back because I had some business dealings in Port Charles that had to be done personally." Jax didn't want to know what Jerry meant by business dealings, as far as he was concerned he was done bailing Jerry out of the messes he found himself in. "I went to Carly because I missed my family, little brother. Carly is pregnant with my only niece and she's the only one that could keep Sonny from attacking me with an assault riffle."

"How do you explain telling her about the night Michael was shot? How could you possibly think that you could earn her favor?"

Jerry was sure if she knew the truth she'd be angrier with Claudia than him. "By explaining that I tried to stop it."

"You knew that I was keeping that from her. You knew that if she found out that you were involved she would blame me. You agreed for the sake of our marriage it should be kept secret!" Jax felt his temper flaring.

"I know, it was selfish. I wanted to be able to come back to Port Charles. This secret had to come out if that was an option. Sonny is looking for blood, and it's either mine or Claudia's, but Carly had to know first."

"So, you were willing to risk Carly's life to tell her?" Jax asked.

Jerry was never made aware of the condition Carly was suffering from. He had been working with a double agent from the Corinthos-Zacara origination moving drugs through the area. He was able to inconspicuously ask questions about the babies both Carly and Claudia carried, and was able to get the informant to give him the sex of his brothers' child. "I swear on dad's grave, I had no idea that telling her could hurt her like it did."

Jax tried to stay mad at his brother. He found Jerry's actions reprehensible, but he couldn't help but love him. "It wasn't you." Jax confessed. "I was the one that lied. She was mad at me for lying. Even worse, I let Michael live with Claudia to cover up the lie. That's why she got mad, and that's why she's here."

"Still. I'm sorry for making yet another mess out of your life. That seems to be what I do best, if there's anything I can do?"

"Finish your business, stay out of Sonny's radar, and go." Jax turned his back on his brother and walked into the hospital hoping that Jerry would fade into the oblivion and never resurface again.


	7. Chapter 7

Sonny searched the halls looking for Michael. He knew he shouldn't have let him walk out. Michael was upset, and had every right to be, unfortunately when he was upset he did stupid things, 'doesn't that sound familiar,' Sonny thought. He finally found Michael talking with Lucky in the PT gym. He looked calmer; Sonny wondered if he'd been made aware of the update yet.

"Hi dad," Michael greeted him. "Is surgery done?"

Sonny nodded. "Yes, the clot has been removed, and she's been transferred to recovery."

"That's great!" Michael exclaimed. "When can we see her?"

"Michael, the doctor's aren't sure that she will recover."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we go home and get some rest, and then check in the morning when more tests can be done."

Michaels' heart sank. The doctor's weren't sure if she was going to wake up, and all he could do was wait. "Dad, can I stay with you tonight?"

"Absolutely."

************

Jason sat next to Carly grasping her hand as if he was holding on to her life. She lay on the bed perfectly still; her arm prodded with needles and hooked up to machines making several low pitched beeping noises. She had a tube under her nose feeding oxygen into her air passages. Her head was wrapped with gauze. Yet, she looked beautiful. Her make-up was cleared away but her skin was flawless. He hoped that she couldn't feel this; he didn't want to imagine the pain she could be going through, it had to feel like she was run over by a bus. He thought about talking to her, but figured she needed her rest. Instead he kept the firm grip on her hand and let himself drift asleep on the chair next to her.

_He found himself at Jake's, the bar was completely empty. One of the pool tables was already set up. Jason stood at the far end of the table and took the cue stick aiming it toward the arrowhead on the other end. The balls scattered and the number four rolled into the corner pocket. _

_'That would make you solids." He heard someone say. He let Carly creep up behind him and place her hands over his eyes. "Guess who?" _

_Jason spun around and held her close. _

_"Your turn." She said, directing his attention to the table, and handed him a cold draft. _

_Jason obliged. Putting the bottle on the table behind him and focused on the game. He sunk a few more before missing a shot. _

_Carly gave a devilish grin as she stepped in front of him to make the shot. She leaned over and carefully aimed the stick behind the cue ball. Jason stood behind admiring the view. She tapped the number nine which collided with the twelve sending the first into the side pocket and second into the corner. She celebrated with a sip of beer. She set herself up for the next shot, this time making it to the other end of the table she bent over in her v-neck halter. She noticed Jason smiling back at her before landing the number fifteen ball. She walked back to where he was standing and brushed her arm against his chest to push him back. As she went to hit the cue ball Jason slapped her ass causing her to jump and the white ball roll into the pocket directly ahead. She turned back, Jason gave her a half smile and shoulder shrug, then took a gulp of beverage. _

_"Oh, you're on now." Carly said and then lifted the bottle to her mouth. _

_Jason took a shot landing both number six and seven. Left for the solids was the blue number two and the eight ball. Unfortunately the number two sat directly behind the stripped red ball. He aimed hoping to knock the eleven out of the way. The eleven slid across the table, his ball rolled into the corner, twirled, and jumped out. _

_Carly sat on the edge of the table to make the next shot sending numbers ten and fourteen into their respective corners. Jason nodded in approval and took a drink. The cue ball was located directly in front of the eleven ball which she was able to tap in, leaving only number thirteen left. She made she that she positioned herself far enough away from Jason that he couldn't mess with the shot. She glanced over to make sure he was holding his distance. Jason took off his black leather jacket revealing the figure forming t-shirt underneath. Carly starred at the outline of the male muscular system. She hit the cue ball sending it forward, bouncing off the other wall, and rolling back to its starting position. _

_Jason walked over grabbed Carly by the hips and scooted her backwards taking her place. He bent over to line up the cue stick and send the number two ball into the side pocket. As he adjusted positions to line up the eight ball Carly stepped up next to him. She placed her palm on the inside of his thigh and slowly slid her hand upwards, causing Jason to knock the cue ball off the table. He took a shot from her bottle and let Carly have the table. _

_She lined up the shot hitting the lucky thirteen into the right corner pocket on the far end of the table and turned her attention to the eight ball. She pointed out the left corner, created a bridge with her left knuckles, and took the shot. The eight ball spun in the pocket and dropped down. She looked over at Jason, her eyes lit up._

_"I suppose it's my treat." He said handing her a quarter. She walked over to the jukebox and picked her favorite song. She came back and fell into place within Jason's arms. She reached her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. They rocked back and forth to the music. As the song ended, Carly started to fade away. With his arms empty he fell to his knees and started weeping. _

Jason startled himself awake. He took a moment to catch his breath, and then surveyed the medical equipment. The heart monitor was still beating rhythmically. Her blood pressure was stable, and the oxygen levels looked good. He squeezed her hand hoping that she would squeeze back. Feeling defeated he sank into his open hand that he was using to keep his head propped up.


	8. Chapter 8

Michael woke up the next morning at his dad's. For a moment he was so happy that he got to spend the time with his father that he forgot the circumstances that brought him there. He walked to the second floor landing, overlooking the living room and listened to the conversation between his dad and Claudia.

"I don't see why you have to go." Claudia insisted. "It's not like Jason or Bobbie are going to let you anywhere near her, and they'll call if anything changes."

"She's the mother of my children, Claudia."

"So am I, remember this little girl in here?" She pointed to her stomach.

"You won't let me forgot." He said under his breath. She had hoped that the pregnancy would bring them closer together, yet eight months in and Sonny still acted like the only reason that they stayed married was a constant punishment for the sin's he had caused.

"Come on, we have Michael, we should do something fun. I know, there's that new indoor amusement park?"

"You can't go on any of the rides." He pointed out.

"Okay, good point. We could go sailing around the harbor." She suggested.

"In November?"

Claudia sighed, she hated being in the mausoleum alone, it was so dark and dreary and even John started acting like he wanted nothing to do with her after she got herself pregnant. She was sick of the constant threat of her secret coming out and the potential backlash that it could cause. Maybe John was right, maybe the only thing left to do was pack her bags and take off for Italy.

Sonny tried reaching a compromise. "I was going to take Michael out to Kelly's this morning for breakfast to meet up with Morgan for a bit. Why don't you come with? Then I can drop you off wherever you want to go before going to the hospital."

"I'll take it. Baby's got to eat, right?" She smiled.

"Right."

When they arrived at Kelly's Mike was sitting at the table with Morgan and Lucas. It was a slow morning at the diner, and Mike had some students working for extra holiday money. He was taking the rest of the day off to watch Morgan so Lucas could spend time with his mom and sister.

"Michael!" Morgan greeted his brother with a big hug.

"Hey bud. Sorry it's been so long, I'm getting my butt kicked at school this semester." Carly and Sonny had worked with the school to complete some classes online over the summer, but in order to graduate on time it meant working extra hard the year most tend to slack off. Luckily for him, he was ahead before going into the coma. "Where have you been, Uncle Lucas?"

"I've been at school." Lucas explained.

"I thought you were done with that awhile ago."

"I finished my bachelors a couple years ago, but I'm currently a semester away from getting my masters in school counseling at NYU." After going through the agony of coming out to his friends and family early on in his college years he realized that he would like to help make it easier for other children going through the same thing. He had finished classes early the prior night and had the day before Thanksgiving off so went home to visit his family.

"What is she doing here?" Morgan asked as he saw Claudia.

"Morgan, be nice." Michael insisted.

"Why? I don't like her. She acts all nice, but I know she's not."

"Hi Morgan, how's school going?" Claudia asked as she approached the table.

"Fine." He said, rolling his eyes. Michael jabbed him in the shoulder with his elbow.

"Hey boys. Are you going to be good here? I'd like to speak to your father." Mike asked.

Michael and Morgan nodded; Claudia sat down at the table with them. Michael watched as Sonny and his father whispered to each other in the corner. He could only imagine they were talking was moms' condition.

"Are you excited?" Claudia asked Morgan, trying to get the kid to warm up to her. "In another month you get a new baby sister."

"I already have a new baby sister." Morgan informed her. "Grandpa is going to take me to see her today."

"Morgan, stop!" Lucas instructed.

"No, no, it's okay, really. I have to use the rest room anyway. I swear she's sitting right on my bladder." Claudia got up and walked off.

Michael glared at his brother. "Are you happy now?"

"No." Morgan answered. He was old enough to know that there was something seriously wrong. All grandma Bobbie had said the night before was that mom was sick. Later he found out his sister was born. Lucas kept him occupied and was much better at playing Super Mario Card than grandma was but he couldn't hide the fact that he was scared.

************

Jax went back to the nursery and stood by Britni's crib, he smiled down at his little girl holding her tiny hands. This is how it started between himself and Carly, smiling down at a sweet, innocent baby. He wished that Carly could be here with him. It was hard to believe that once again Carly was missing the first hours of her child's life. He was hoping that things could be different for her this time around, without the constant threat of violence plaguing her life. If only she could have held on another two weeks for the scheduled c-section. At the last appointment Jax, Carly and Dr. Lee discussed the risks of labor with her condition. Dr. Lee wanted to make sure that the baby was given the optimal time for development but wanted to schedule it early enough that Carly wouldn't go into labor prior to that date. Jax was in a hurry to get things set with Crimson before the baby was born, which was the only reason he was willing to take off before a holiday weekend.

Lulu startled him as she approached Britni. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. She's beautiful."

"Thank you."

"I can go."

"No, that's okay. I want her to be surrounded by family. Would you like to hold her?"

Lulu nodded, Jax picked Britni up from out of the crib and laid her into her cousins' arms. "I've never held one this small before." Lulu confesses. "She seems so fragile. I get why Jason felt he had to protect her."

Jax felt himself tense up at the mention of Jason's name. As much as people warned him about the deep connection between Carly and Sonny it was nothing compared to what she had with Jason. The love she shared with Sonny he could compete with. "We can all be grateful that Jason was there for her."

Part of Jax was relieved that he didn't have to make the decision, but then he felt guilty for even thinking that. He woke up every morning of her pregnancy afraid of the possibility she could throw a clot and went to bed thankful that she hadn't. As the baby grew stronger Jax started the 'what if?' games. He wondered which option he would choose and prayed that he'd never have to.

"Jax, I want you to know, if you ever need a babysitter I am available." Lulu said keeping her eyes on Britni and making googily faces as she offered.

"I may just take you up on that, but not at work." He teased.

"How long do you suspect she needs to be in here?" Lulu asked.

"Not long. Dr. Lee says that she's fine. They made sure to check her heart since both Michael and Morgan were born with complications."

"Do you think it would be an issue to bring her to the waiting room? I know there's a lot of people that want to meet her and this space is so small."

"I don't see a problem with it. Besides I have some phone calls to make." Jax was supposed to be in meetings all day. "Just let one of the nurses know where you're going so they know where to bring the bottle."


	9. Chapter 9

Jason started dozing off again until he heard the door start to open. His head popped up and he turned his attention to the new noise. Elizabeth Webber stepped inside. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I need to take down her vitals."

He waved her in. She wrote down some numbers, after which he asked, "Any change?"

"She's stable." Elizabeth answered, which was the standard medical answer for no degradation, yet no progress. "She should be going in for tests soon. Jason, can I get you anything?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Both Lucky and Lulu are here; they could bring you some coffee."

"Thank you, but no. I'll get some when she goes in for her tests."

"Okay." She left the door opened a crack, and stayed a moment to peer inside. She would always care for Jason, it was hard seeing him in this much pain. Jason watched as Elizabeth bumped into Patrick in the hallway. She handed Carly's chart over. He opened it, glanced at the numbers, and walked away. Jason was unable to get a read on the doctor's reaction. He sat back in his chair and focused on Carly.

"Good morning Carly." He started. "I know yesterday was hard, and today's probably not going to be that much easier. I'm going to have to ask you a favor, and you owe me one… or five. I don't know, I lost count. Carly, you have to wake up. If not for me, you have a beautiful, precious baby girl that needs you now. I know you reached out to me yesterday, I don't know how you did, but you did. I did what you wanted. So I'm asking you, no begging you, I hope you can tell how serious this is, to please listen to me. Hang on with everything you have. I promised you that I would always catch you when you fell, but I need an arm to hoist you up from."

"Can I come in?" Bobbie asked.

Jason waved her in.

"Here, Mike gave me these from Kelly's." She handed Jason a bag of muffins.

"You should…"

"I already had one. Besides, you're going to need your strength. I heard what you said. Carly is hanging onto you Jason; she wouldn't be able to do this without you."

"Bobbie, do you feel her? Wait, that doesn't sound right."

"I know what you're asking, and yes, she's still fighting."

He explained the dream, or at least the last part of his dream. The part where she had vanished and he was left with a cold, dark, empty feeling. He couldn't quite shake that feeling, it lingered with him long after he woke and checked the monitors. Bobbie put her arms around him. She thought that maybe it was fear. Jason had been hanging on to that fear since the diagnosis and now that there was a serious threat that fear was manifested in him dream.

Dr. Drake popped his head in the room. "We're going to be taking her in a moment." He warned.

Bobbie gave Carly a kiss on her forehead. "You stay strong."

***********

Empty chatter filled the walls of the waiting room. Lucky and Lucas sat on the couch catching up on the ins and outs of their lives. Michael and Morgan were sitting on the chairs next to them listening in until Alexis showed up with the girls. Alexis had hoped to run into Jax and be the active hear she was sure he needed. Kristina and Michael broke into their own corner of the room and talked about school projects they had coming up. Morgan noticed the book Molly was reading and started a conversation about the differences between the Harry Potter books and movies. Sonny and Mike sat around one of the tables enthralled in Luke's tale of his capture and escape from Helena Cassadine.

Lulu walked in the room and the conversation ceased. All attention turned to over to the day-old infant that she held in her arms.

Morgan stood up. "Can I hold her?" He asked.

Lulu guided her into Morgan's arms. "Watch the head." She cautioned.

"Hi Britni." Morgan welcomed his little sister. "Happy belated birthday!"

Sonny walked over to his youngest son, he knelt down next to him and looked into Britni's big blue eyes. "She looks just like her mom." He commented, than joked. "That's a relief."

Lucky and Lucas cleared a spot for Morgan to sit between them. Molly sat in front of him and tried to play peek-a-boo with the infant. Within the excitement Michael walked out of the room and Kristina followed.

"Have you even seen her yet?" Kristina asked.

"No." Michael answered. "And I don't want to."

"Michael, that's your sister. Your flesh and blood sister." She clarified. She stressed the point because even though they were raised as siblings, and related as siblings there was no familial blood that tied them together.

"I know." He said. "It's just that my mom may not survive and I can't seem to get over the fact that if she weren't here mom would be."

"Look at her, hold her, and maybe you'll understand why your mom risked everything for her. You know that your mom loves you, you've told me that. I don't believe that she would have purposefully left you, but it's her instinct to protect her young, and right now that's Britni."

'Britni,' that was exactly what Michael was hoping to avoid. He did not want it to have a face or a name. As long as it was this unknown thing inside her he could resent it. "I'm going down to the café."

"No, you just ate. Take my hand, we're going inside." Kristina insisted.

"Good morning Michael." He heard Grandma Bobbie say as she approached. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just going in to see Britni." He responded.

"Britni is in there?"

"Yeah, Lulu brought her over to meet the family." Kristina answered. The three of them entered the room together. Morgan was still holding the baby who had fallen asleep in his arms. Lucas stood up to give his mom a hug and let her take his seat on the couch.

"I'm sorry I haven't really been home since you arrived." She told Lucas. She had spent the night watching over the baby.

"I understand." Lucas explained. "How's Carly?"

"She's going in for tests. Patrick wants to try diffuse optical tomography. It's a technique to see what areas of the brain are active by mapping the blood flow." Bobbie explained.

"Will it hurt?" Michael asked.

"No, it's just the use of a near infrared light." Bobbie answered.

"So, they're using a flashlight to see if mom is going to wake up?" Morgan asked.

The room giggled at the nine-year-olds synopsis. "Pretty much." Bobbie answered.

"If there are areas of lower activity, what are the chances of connection being reestablished?" Lucky asked.

"It depends on the extent in which the area is compromised." Bobbie explained.

Michael knelt down by Morgan, and Molly scooted out of his way. He took a long look at his baby sister. She was so small, so cute. He felt his heart melting though he tried to resist. Michael brushed his hand over her red fuzz. She squirmed, reaching her arm to touch his. "Happy birthday, Britni."

Morgan looked over at his grandmother. "Where's Jason?"

"Jason was going to the café, I think he needed some coffee, but he should be here soon."

***********

"Can you please tell her that I apologize for any inconvenience, but I need to reschedule for some unknown date?" Jax asked. "I wouldn't normally do this but there is a medical family emergency that I need to focus on right now."

Alexis heard the tail end of his conversation. He held up his finger indicating to wait a minute. After apologizing again and saying goodbye, he held out his arms inviting Alexis in for a hug. He held her tight, and in a moment of weakness let himself cry. As he stopped, Alexis looked up and helped him wipe away his tears.

"Would you like to sit down?" Alexis asked. There was a bench located right around the corner from where they were standing. She directed him towards it.

"Not that I mind, but what are you doing here?" Jax asked.

"I figured you may need somebody. I saw the waiting room and it is full of Carly's relatives. Bobbie has all the support that she could ask for. Meanwhile your brother is a psycho, and your mother is in Australia."

"Yeah, well, I already got a visit from said psycho."

"You're kidding? What is Jerry doing back here?" Alexis asked. Alexis was hoping, along with Jax, that the last encounter in Port Charles was going to be his last.

"Stirring up trouble, what else?" He answered.

"You mean?" Alexis figured out that Jerry had something to do with Carly's current crisis.

"He told her."

Alexis briefly felt sick to her stomach; she could not believe that at one time she thought she could be falling for the man. Her taste in men was horrendous, first Sonny, then Ric, and finally worst of all was Jerry Jax. "Oh my God." Was all she was able to muster out.

"It's my fault. I should have never lied to her. I hate it, _hated it_, when she lied to me. She always thought she had a good reason, that she was protecting me in some way, and then I turn around and do the exact same thing."

"To be fair, you never had a pregnancy or a blood clotting condition to take into consideration. Carly is a time-bomb and even if she could have gotten over the fact that you saving Jerry from the Metro Court incident might have opened the gateway for his involvement in Michael's shooting, she would still be out for blood. That's stress that she didn't need."

Alexis never liked Carly but she did respect her as a mother and as a fighter. She was well aware of the maternal instincts to protect their children. She had killed a man, faked insanity, lied about the paternity, and dressed up as a butler all in the name of protecting her daughter.

"Thanks." He said, for the reassurance. He had debated with himself time and time again whether he was doing the right thing. "Alexis, I should tell you something that I probably should have told you earlier."

"What? Anything."

"Can I make sure that I'm speaking to my friend, and not the district attorney?"

"Of course, but in that case, can you use 'hypothetically'?" After the scandal that transpired after the mayor's mistress was murdered Alexis was doing her best to stay district attorney by living scandal free.

"Okay," he struggled to form the words. "What if 'hypothetically' there was more information on the DVD that Jerry sent me about Michaels' shooting than I originally told you?"

"As in?"

"As in the person that hired the hit on Sonny was 'hypothetically' Claudia Zacchara."

"What?" Alexis screamed, then took her voice down to an almost whisper. "That bitch shot Michael and then married his father? The man she tried to shoot in the first place?"

Jax stayed calm. "'hypothetically' yes, and then got pregnant as a safeguard in case he ever found out."

"So Jerry told Carly about Claudia." That made more sense to her, why would Jerry confront Carly to tell her he shot her son?

"And got angry with me for letting Michael go anywhere near her. This is why I am telling you now, for Kristina's sake."

"Thank you. I never trusted her over at her fathers' place anyway. Especially with that witch over there."

"So, now what? Have you had the chance to spend time with your daughter? Carly?"

"I've been able to hold Britni, she's so precious. I have not seen Carly yet, but I doubt it's a good idea if I did. I don't want to do anything that may set her back at all."

Alexis put her arm around her friend. "I suppose Sonny has a hired gunman standing guard."

Alexis quipped.

"No, just Jason holding 24/7 vigil. You know, Alexis, why didn't you warn me about that connection before I got married?"

"Because I don't think even Carly and Jason realize how deep it is."


	10. Chapter 10

After finishing his coffee he left the constraints of the hospital and savored in the fresh air. The temperature was frigid, but the sun was out and there had yet to be any snow flurries this season. He found his truck in the garage, as Johnny promised, and decided to stop by the penthouse to clean up and change.

He vaguely noticed Spinelli and Maxie on the couch as he darted up the stairs. Spinelli had his fair Maximista in his warm embrace. He was happy to have the much needed time off for the holidays, and ecstatic that she had the time off with the crazy hours she was pulling at the magazine.

"Should we go check on him?" Maxie asked, noticing an even colder side of the generally 'Stone Cold.'

"No." Spinelli cautioned.

"Okay." She said and put her head back on his chest. She was excited about bringing Spinelli to the Scorpio family Thanksgiving the following day, even if Mac was not.

Jason stood under the running water frozen in thought. He stared out and saw Carly in front of him wearing nothing but a grin from ear to ear. He felt his heart melting as he encouraged her to come closer. She took a lathered lufa and pressed it against his back as Jason kissed her. One arm wrapped around her waist and the other hand cradling the nape of her neck, he massaged his tongue against hers. He didn't want to let go. He knew it wasn't real, but he could feel her skin against his, and he welcomed it. He watched as she washed him down, his eyes locked with hers as she caressed his thigh. She put his shampoo into her palm and ran her fingers into his hair. She stood with her arms around his neck and his around her waist, and he ceased the moment to kiss her again. After he rinsed off she stepped out of the shower. He took a moment to turn off the running water, as he opened the shower curtain he knew he was opening it to an empty bathroom.

He took one of the hanging towels, patted himself dry, wrapped it around him, and went down the hall to his bedroom. He slipped on a pair of jeans and classic black t-shirt and collapsed back in his bed. He looked up at the ceiling wondering what was going on. Where was this coming from? It hadn't been since the original Port Charles hotel fire that he kissed Carly like that. He decided he was going to take a ride and let his mind clear before returning to the hospital. He grabbed his leather jacket and headed down the stairs.

"Stone Cold." Spinelli stopped him as he was heading out.

"Yes." He turned around.

"The Valkyrie's maternal unit called."

"What did Bobbie want?" Jason was getting decent at breaking Spinelli speak.

"She said that the tests results should be back in a half an hour." He relayed the message as directly as possible.

"Anything else?" Jason asked.

"Not with this particular cellular conversation, but Maximista and the Jackal were worried of Stone Cold's current psychological state."

Jason shook his head and walked out the door. The November air left him with a welcomed numbness as he rode through the countryside. He was able to pay attention to the road and nothing else. As he started feeling lost in the vibration he realized it was time to start heading back.

***********

Bobbie found Alexis and Jax at the tail end of their conversation to tell them that the tests results would be soon. This gave Alexis the opportunity to sneak out of the hospital for a moment to make a phone call.

"What did you need?" Sam asked her mother.

She gave her eldest a hug and encouraged her to take a seat next to her. "How are you doing? I heard that you and Spinelli are staying busy." Alexis was truly proud that her daughter found something that she was good at and kept her happy. The private investigation agency provided her just that.

"Yeah, we just finished a big case, and not a moment too soon. I was afraid that we may be working straight through the holiday."

"I'm glad, you are coming over tomorrow afternoon?" Sam wasn't sure if that was a question or a statement.

"Yes, but I don't think that's why you asked me to come down."

"You're right. I want you to work on a case for me." Her mother told her. "Normally I would go to the PCPD but that would require probable cause and a full scale investigation which really could only be done if the family presented the charges."

"Mom, you're rambling. What's the case?"

"I want you to prove that Claudia Zacchara hired the hit on Sonny, that she's responsible for Michael getting shot."

"Oh, wow, I know Jason has suspected it, but he's been digging for awhile and hasn't found anything concrete."

Alexis explained everything that Jax told her about Jerry's confession and went into detail about what she knew had transpired that night. Alexis wanted Claudia behind bars. She knew if Sonny or Jason found out first that more blood would shed. It was time that the criminals in Port Charles actually had to serve time for the heinous acts they committed.

"Okay, sure yeah. I'll get right on that." Sam was apprehensive about getting into a case involving Jerry Jax. There was no love loss there. The last time she tried investigating him she ended up being strapped to a boat ready to explode.

"I'm not asking you to start this minute, actually, I was hoping that you could bring Molly home and spend the afternoon with her." Alexis did not feel comfortable having Molly spend the entire day in the hospital waiting room.

"Anything else?" Sam asked.

"There is one more thing." Alexis added.

'Of course,' Sam though.

"Stay safe." Alexis pleaded. "I know that Jerry is a psychopath, and there's no telling what he may do if he feels threatened. If it becomes too much, please, tell me."

"I will." Sam promised. "Now let's go upstairs and get Molly."

Molly, Morgan, and Kristina all watched as Michael fed Britni her bottle. He remembered when Morgan was a baby and he would sit next to his mom holding his brother while she held the bottle up for him. The instincts of an infant were amazing, after months of receiving nutrition from a tube they inherently knew what to do to stay nourished. She looked so peaceful; her eyes were shut as she sucked from the bottle. Michael could not believe how well behaved she was, especially after being away from her mother for so long. The kids gazed on as she finished her last drop.

"Here, Michael. Let me take her." Lulu offered. "She should get back to the nursery before Patrick gets back with the results."

Lulu carried the baby out of the room. Lucas went with her. After Lulu brought her into the ladies room to change her diaper Lucas asked to hold her. Michael and Morgan had pretty much monopolized Britni most of the morning. "She looks like a Spencer." He remarked.

Lucas noticed the pain Lulu was trying desperately to hide. "How are you doing?" He asked.

'Okay.' Lulu tried to say, but then let her guard down for a second. "I'm so scared; Carly is one the only people that I can talk to about anything. I don't know what I am going to do if we lose her. She doesn't judge me, I know it's probably because she's done worse, but after my mom got sick she's been that maternal role for me."

Lucas had spent part of the morning talking to Lucky about how Laura's recovery was going in France. "I know. My mom struggled with accepting me when I first came out. Soon after that my dad died. I always knew that I could go to Carly with anything. I think she liked it," he giggled, "people going to her. It gave her something else to focus on and keep her out of trouble."

Lulu hung her head down; she used that moment to talk herself out of the pity-party she could feel herself slipping in to. "We don't know anything until we get the results. Lets bring this little one back to the nursery so we can be there when they come in."

Sam and Alexis double tried to double team Molly into going home. Morgan was teaching her how to play Kingdom Hearts on his Nintendo DS.

"This is so cool," she said. "There's Mickey and Aladdin, and Morgan says you can meet Winnie the Poo."

"That's wonderful, honey, but I'm sure that Morgan can come over sometime soon and you two can play." She encouraged Sonny's support.

"I don't see a problem with that. Besides Morgan and his grandpa were just about to take off themselves." Sonny explained.

"How about the four of us go over to Kelly's to get some lunch?" Mike suggested to Sam.

"That sounds like a great idea." Sam replied. Morgan and Molly seemed happy with the idea.

"Here." Morgan handed over the video game. "You can play it on the ride to Kelly's."

Jax smiled at his step-son's generosity. He sat in the back of the room making idle conversation with Luke and Lucky. After Sam and Molly left, Alexis joined them. Kristina sat with her dad and brother on the couch, and watched as they took turns glancing at the clock. Michael jumped with anticipation when the door started to open, it was Bobbie, and soon after Lulu and Lucas came back from the nursery.

"I think this waiting is going to kill me." Michael confessed. Kristina held her hand out for Michael to grab on to.

At a quarter to noon Dr. Drake finally stepped in. "It looks like we have a full house. I can tell you're anxious, so let's get on with it."

"Wait!" They heard from outside the door. Jason stepped in. "I'm sorry, I'm late." He said and sat down on the closest chair he could find.

"Are we ready now?" Dr Drake asked.

"Please." Jax encouraged.

Sonny noticed the look on the doctor's face and whispered to Michael. "Are you sure you want to be here for this?" Michael nodded, yes.

"As I had explained to Jason yesterday, the blood clot was located in a vein that connected the limbic system to the central nervous system through the hippocampus. What I have been concerned about is the possible lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain stem and the possible damage that could have transpired in the central nervous system. The brain stem is located on the base of the brain, and is part of what is generally called the reptilian brain. It controls basic functions such as heart beat and respiration, while the central nervous system is vital for maintaining consciousness and sleep rhythms. What I wanted to do was get an image displaying the hemoglobin levels to get an idea of neural activity."

Michael looked over at his grandma to get an idea of whether what was said was good or bad. What he understood from that was that if there was damage to the central nervous system then his mom was not going to wake up.

"But she's breathing, and heart's beating, so that means that the brain stem wasn't completely damaged?" Jax gathered.

"That is true, and it is a positive sign, but we did find that the hemoglobin areas are much lower in that area than we would like. It very well could have a negative effect on the functioning of the central nervous system." Patrick explained.

Sonny was getting sick of the run-around. "What does that mean for her?"

"It means that if she doesn't wake up soon, I don't believe she will."

"Is there anything we can do?" Lucas asked. "There are procedures to wake up certain areas of the brain. Michael is living proof of that."

"Michaels' damage was to the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. There are billions of neurons located there that can establish new connections. In Carly's case we are talking about the loss of oxygen to the basic structures responsible for giving us life. I am sorry if I sound pessimistic, I wish I had better news for you."

As Patrick left, the room was silent. Nobody was truly prepared for the diagnosis. Luke got up a walked over to his sister to offer his condolences.

"No. Dr. Drake said 'if', if she doesn't wake up soon, which means it's still up to her." She said and walked out.

***********

Patrick stopped over by the nurse's station to grab another chart.

"How did it go?" Monica asked.

"I felt like I was standing in the middle of a room full of people wanting to flog me." Patrick confessed. Robin came up from behind and gave him a sympathetic hug.

"It never gets any easier, does it?"

"No, especially not in this case." There were too many people he knew and cared for. At the top of that list was his friend and co-worker, Bobbie Spencer. The newborn left without her mother was an added bonus.

"Is there anything you may have missed?" Monica asked. She had complete confidence in Patrick's judgment, but if he was right that left two members of her family completely devastated.

"You can look." He said, handing the chief of staff the file. She flipped through the charts looking at any changes in her vitals. Nothing had changed drastically since she got out of surgery. She looked at the images of the MRI and PET scans along with the findings of the DOI.

"That's interesting." Monica commented.

"What's interesting?" Jason asked. He had hoped to be able to talk to Monica privately about a couple of things.

"Not much. It's just I wouldn't expect the limbic system to be this active."

"I noticed that. I didn't think it was a variable in the diagnosis." Patrick explained.

"It's not. It's just unusual."

"Why?" Jason asked. "What exactly is its function?"

"It is the area of the brain that controls a person's memory, emotion, and arousal."

'Oh' Jason thought. "Can we talk?"


	11. Chapter 11

Jax stood outside Carly's room watching Bobbie hold her daughters' hand. Carly appeared so lifeless; a shell of the person he loved. Somehow he took all the fire and passion that consumed her and put her in a permanent rest. He could not help but think about the prior year when Carly was told that Michaels' case was hopeless. He watched as she refused to listen to anyone who didn't believe in her boy. Jax listened to doctors and then brought in specialists who confirmed the results. He swore Carly was in denial. Even Sonny and Jason looked worried for her as she grasped to the idea that Michael was going to be okay. Maybe that is what he needed to do now, grasp on to the idea that Carly was going to be okay and hold on for dear life. He loved her, and even if she woke up wanting nothing to do with him, at least it would mean that she was awake. As Jax noticed Sonny and Michael approaching, he walked away. He was not in the mood for another showdown with Sonny.

***********

"What is that about?" Michael asked his father.

"I'm not sure." Sonny lied. Sonny did not want Michael knowing about the argument Jax had with Carly before she collapsed. The last thing Michael needed now was to know it was about the person responsible for shooting him. Sonny had enough guilt; he did not need his son sharing it.

"Dad, I don't know if I can do this." He admitted. "I don't know what to do, or what to say."

"You don't need to do or say anything. It may just help her to know you're there."

"Will she?" Michael asked. "I'm not sure if I did. I mean, I remember hearing some stuff, but not everything."

Truthfully, he hoped that it would be good for Michael. Michael had been carrying around a lot of hurt and resentment for awhile. Whatever Lucky said the night before seemed to help a lot, and today Kristina was able to get him to open up and bond with his baby sister. Michael knocked on the window, and waiting for Grandma Bobbie to invite him in. She gave up her seat to let Michael be close to his mom. Bobbie motioned him to hold her hand.

"Hi mom," he started. "I'm not really sure if you can hear me, but I wanted you to know that I'm here. I met Britni today, and she is the most beautiful baby in the world. I'm not saying that out of personal bias. Morgan is doing okay, he misses you. He understands some of this, probably because he had to deal with it when I was hurt." Michael stopped, and looked over at his grandma who urged him to keep going. "Mom, I love you. I miss you. I know that I have been pushing away since I woke up, but that's just because I'm a stupid teenager that doesn't want to admit that he still needs his mom. Please mom, I need you."

Sonny walked over to comfort his son. "We can go home now."

***********

After the test results had been revealed the family dispersed. Lulu sat in the room by herself playing every memory she had of her cousin in her mind. The advice, teasing, fighting, bonding, they shared it all, but there was still so much Lulu needed from her.

Matt Hunter noticed her in the window and entered the room. "Do you need a friend?"

"I can't promise you that I'll make the best company."

"That's okay." He said, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They sat on the couch; he let her stare off into space as he brushed away the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

**********

"What would you like to discuss?" Monica asked Jason. She led him into her office as he appeared to want the privacy.

He wasn't quite sure how to best phrase the question. "How would I know if there have been any side effects from past brain trauma?" He asked.

"Typically headaches, dizziness, maybe some nausea, or black-outs, is this something you should be asking Patrick about?" She asked in concern.

"No, I don't think so." He answered. "What about hallucinations?"

"What kind of hallucinations?"

"Very, _very_ vivid hallucinations."

"When did they start?" She questioned.

"Yesterday. I was in the ambulance with Carly and she spoke to me. She told me to save the baby, and then I turned my attention away for a moment and when I looked back she was still unconscious. I swore it was real, until I saw the look the EMT gave me."

"Have there been any since then?"

"Last night I had a dream that she was with me at Jake's. It reminded me of the way we acted when we met but it didn't feel like a memory. Before I woke up she vanished, and I can't describe how cold I felt."

"I'm guessing there's more?"

"Yeah. This morning she took a shower with me." He confessed.

"Oh, vivid." She repeated. Jason nodded. "Nikolas mentioned having hallucinations of Emily when he was dealing with his tumor. He also experienced black-outs though."

"You think I'm crazy." He surmised.

"No, honestly, if you're asking me as a doctor I do think there's something chemical going on due to grief."

Jason nodded; he still heard 'honestly, I think you're crazy.'

"As your mother, and someone that knows you and Carly very well. I think there is a connection that you two are sharing beyond consciousness. It may explain the increased activity of Carly's limbic system; she's reaching out to you Jase."

Jason shook his head and snickered.

"What?" Monica asked.

"That just sounds very soap opera-esque." He teased.

"Would you rather I told you that you were crazy?"

**********

When he left Carly's room, Jax found himself meandering in the direction of the nursery. He was hoping for some father-daughter bonding time.

"Mr. Jax, you are just the person that I was hoping to run in to." Dr. Lee commented.

"What gives me such an honor?" Jax asked.

"Britni." She answered. "She's doing fantastic, and I think she's ready to go home as soon as tomorrow."

"That's wonderful." Jax said, less than enthusiastic. He had always imagined that when he brought his child home from the hospital it would be a Hallmark family moment.

"I know this isn't ideal." Dr. Lee sympathized. "She's showing signs of missing her mother, but her family has done a great job of making her feel loved. I think the best thing for her is to be home."

Jax continued to the nursery. He was thrilled that Britni was doing so well. There were times that she was noticeably fussy, where feedings and changing's were not helping. He wondered if separation from the one constant over the past eight months had played a role. As he approached the nursery he found his daughter in her uncles' arms.

"Hi Lucas."

"Oh, hi." Lucas greeted him. "I was just leaving."

"No rush. I just talked to the doctor. She thinks it's helping her being surrounded by family." Jax explained.

"I'm glad, but really, Lucky and I were going to go grocery shopping. Elizabeth has volunteered to do the Thanksgiving cooking so mom doesn't have to. She requested that we pick up a few things on our way back."

"That's right, Thanksgiving is tomorrow." Jax realized. 'Britni's first thanksgiving,' he thought. At least he had one thing to be thankful for.

Lucas changed the subject, noticing the sting the realization brought. "I heard a rumor that Britni may be coming home soon. That would be nice."

"Tomorrow." Jax clarified. "I wish that it was under different circumstances, with Carly, Morgan, and Michael if he felt comfortable with it. I don't know what I am going home to." Jax had thought at great length how devastated he would be if anything happened to Carly, but he did not let himself imagine the family he would be losing. Without Carly, where would Morgan be living? Would Sonny let him have a relationship with his sister despite the disdain he had for her father?

There was a pause in the conversation as both men took in the gravity of the situation. Lucas wanted to offer encouragement, or give a simple 'everything is going to work out for the best.' He could not believe that. He wanted his sister to be okay just as much as Jax did. It was tearing himself up inside that he may never get the chance to talk to her again. Instead he handed his niece over to her father and said, "If you are looking for a place to spend the holiday, you are more than welcome at the Brownstone."

"Thank you, but I wouldn't want to intrude."

Both Lucas and Jax looked over at the voice coming from the doorway. "You wouldn't be. You're a Spencer now, as is she." Bobbie explained.

Jax was appreciative of the overture, but without his wife he could only imagine that spending that time with her family would be that much more painful for all of them. "Perhaps Britni and I could stop by soon." He said noncommittal.

There was a momentary cease of conversation. Lucas took the opportunity say goodbye to his mother before meeting Lucky in the parking lot.

"Jax, I know Sonny and Jason are giving you a hard time right now."

"They're not wrong." Jax admitted, although he wasn't proud of admitting that he agreed with Sonny.

"Yes, they are. I was talking to Dr. Drake. There were some questions I had following the test results. You didn't cause that blood clot. It had been forming for a while, and Patrick is convinced that she would have had to have been experiencing symptoms for the past couple of weeks."

Jax was stunned by this. He tried thinking back to anything she may have said or done that would have implied that she was off. A couple of weeks ago she had an appointment with Dr. Lee. They did an ultrasound of the baby and everything was perfect. They had set up the appointment for the c-section and Carly was happy. She was calm and even okay with Jax leaving for the weekend. Maybe that was a red flag. When was Carly ever okay with Jax being away and spending time charming other women? Especially over a family holiday? Perhaps it was just her way of hiding the truth from him, which wasn't unlike Carly. She probably thought if she could hang on long enough for the c-section that everything would work out. She could have the baby, and then would start treatment for the blood condition without anybody ever knowing. This news did not change his mind. If anything it had the opposite effect, he should have known.

"I still left." Jax replied. "I should have been there. Instead she was in the house alone and unconscious. What if she wasn't able to dial Jason?"

"Then Michael would have found her and called her an ambulance. You were trying to do what she asked to calm her down, and Carly didn't let you know that she was so close to a stroke."

"I don't understand how you can forgive me." Jax commented. He wasn't sure that he could forgive himself. When he married Carly he swore to protect her. Instead he failed to see that she was in trouble, he failed in keeping his brother from hurting her, and he walked away when she needed someone.


	12. Chapter 12

Jason sat next to Carly. "I knew you would drive me crazy some day." He teased. Instead of trying to explain the impossible he decided to let it be. It this meant he had more time with Carly he was willing to deal with the weird dreams and hallucinations. The part that frightened him was that she kept slipping away, he kept losing her, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could handle that. His heart broke a little more each time she vanished, and he couldn't help but believe that at some point there would be nothing left but the cold.

"Carly, I love you." He confessed, every moment he spent with her, every pang he felt when she slipped away convinced him of this. "You can't leave me." He said, finally.

Monica stared down over his shoulder. There conversation was cut short when he overheard Patrick and Bobbie talking in the hall. "Jason, maybe you should get some sleep tonight. You look exhausted."

"I will." He said.

"I mean at home, in your own bed."

"I can't."

"Jason, she's with you. Whether you are here in this room, at the penthouse, or in Africa, she is with you. I'm asking you to take care of yourself."  
Feeling too tired to argue he conceded. "Give me an hour." He asked. He stayed holding onto her hand feeling what his mother must have when he was comatose; sadness, longing, heartbreak… anger, among dozens of other emotions that he was too distracted to list. He had overheard the conversation between Patrick and Bobbie. Carly knew her condition was getting worse, she knew that her blood was clotting and she did what she wanted regardless of the feelings of everyone who loved her. She fell in love with her baby the second she knew it existed and probably on some level even before then, and she decided that she was going to bring it into the world even if it was the last thing she did.

She had to know how badly it would hurt her family. There were too many people that cared about her; Bobbie, Michael, Morgan, Jax, Sonny, Lulu, Lucas, that newborn that she risked everything for, and selfishly, him. What was she to do though? Get a late term abortion? Risk taking the baby out at the seven month mark? She could have at least told him, or told the doctor; maybe she could have prescribed bed rest or something. He wondered if Carly really believed that this could happen, or if she talked herself into believing that she could hold out long enough for it to all work out. Jason had always feared the day when her instincts were wrong, and he knew what the result would be when they did. He brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed her. "Hang on." He advised.

The entire ride home Jason felt himself fighting off fatigue, his mom was right, he should have left earlier. It was hard pulling himself away. She needed him, and he needed her, that much was clear. He focused on that as he steered his bike through the winding roads to his penthouse. Lying in bed, he let the exhaustion take over, as he began to slip away he felt an arm on his shoulder.

Jason turned to face her. She lay under his covers wearing a black laced nightgown. He leaned in to kiss her holding the base of her scalp. She brought herself closer until there was less than an inch between them. They continued to kiss and Jason felt his energy peak. He slid his arm under the right side of her abdomen and shifted himself onto his back. Using his strength he lifted her on top. She grabbed the base of the shirt he was wearing and he sat himself up momentarily as she lifted it off his back.

She basked in her view as she rested her head on Jason's chest. She used her fingertip to trace the line of his sternum and he wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. He brushed away a stray hair and got a glimpse of her radiant smile, he knew at that moment that he wanted her, completely. He lifted her chin and again massaged her tongue with his. He grabbed onto the base of her back and cinched is closer to him, their legs interlocked. She repositioned her head and gently nibbled on his earlobe. He ran his fingers over the long of her back, digging them his and she moved onto his neck.

Jason lifted her to a sitting position and tore the nightgown off of her; she used her momentum to swing him around until he was positioned on top. He rested his palm on her breast as he kissed above her shoulder blade. He loosened his belt and she pulled at his jeans then threw the denim across the room. They held each other in a firm embrace. He paused briefly to look into her eyes, and she stared back with the glimmer of life that he held dear. She took a deep breath as he inserted himself into her and she dug her nails into his back as they passionately made love.

They were both left winded. A bead of sweat ran down Carly's forehead as she used Jason's chest as a pillow. She listened to his heartbeats and copied its rhythm as she tapped her fingertip. Jason lay on his back combing his fingers through her golden locks as he watched her fall asleep. He looked at the clock. It was late and he knew that he should sleep. Instead he lay motionless not wanting anything to disrupt the moment. It was as if the lyrics of the Aerosmith song flashed in his head, he watched her sleep not wanting to close his eyes, afraid that he would lose her if he did.


	13. Chapter 13

Sitting in the windowsill in his room at his dad's Morgan looked out at the bare trees that littered the landscape. It was the New York in between season; between the painted leaves of the autumn and the fresh snow that glistened in the winter. Everything looked dead.

"Morgan, open up or I'm coming in." Michael announced.

"Go away!" Morgan yelled back. He was with Grandpa Mike when his father called about the test results. The adults attempted to stay positive around him, but he didn't need to hear the results to know what they were. After Michael and Sonny left the hospital, Mike brought Morgan to the house.

"I'm coming in." Michael warned. Michael walked in and plopped himself down on Morgan's bed. Morgan continued looking out the window. He hoped that if he ignored his brother long enough he would go away.

"I know what you're thinking." Michael sympathized.

"No you don't." Morgan challenged.

"You're thinking that it's not really Thanksgiving without mom, and you're pissed that Claudia is here and fine when mom isn't."

Morgan smiled. "Maybe you do know."

Michael waved his brother over to sit next to him. He climbed out of the windowsill and jumped onto the bed. "I know because I'm thinking the same thing. Besides the year I was in the coma, I've always had thanksgiving with mom, and Christmas." He added. "I'm just as scared to lose her as you are, but we have to stick together. I'm not saying that it's not going to be hard having another woman try to play the mom role this holiday, but this isn't Claudia's fault, and we shouldn't take it out on her."

"Why can't I just go over to Grandma Bobbie's or Alexis' and spend the day with Kristina and Molly?" Morgan asked. After lunch with Molly she had invited him over to play more Kingdom Hearts only this time with the two players setting.

"Because dad and I need you here." Michael explained.

Morgan rested his head on Michaels' lap. "Michael, I want mom! We need her! She is supposed to be here. She's supposed to help us make stupid turkey decorations, and tell us how much she loves us until we want to gag, and threaten us with her cooking when we try to run away from her…"

"I know." He let his brother cry.

Sonny walked in and sat behind his little boy. He rubbed Morgan's back hoping to provide some comfort. "We are going to get through this." Sonny claimed. He and Michael shot each other an encouraging glance.

************

Upon the awake of Thanksgiving morning Jax was filling out discharge papers for his daughters' release. He had gone home the night before to the hauntingly empty house to make sure everything was in order for this daughter's homecoming. He mounted the car seat holder into the sedan; adjusting it to the proper setting, and made sure that the crib and changing table completely set. He had run out to the store to pick up diapers and creams that the nurses had suggested. He finally crashed late sitting on the gliding chair that Carly had picked out for the nursery, and holding the pink flannel quilt that had been put away after the miscarriage of their first child.

"And sign here?" Jax asked, feeling that he had signed his life away.

"Yes, and that'll do it." Nurse Epiphany Johnson responded.

Britni lay in her car seat with her eyes closed. Jax had been told by one of the on duty neonatal nurses that she was the star of the unit. She had the hearts of all the residents and nurses that crossed her path.

"Say goodbye, Britni." He said lifting her tiny hand and waving it at Epiphany. Epiphany smiled and waved back. Jax pressed the down button on the elevator as Alexis ran up to meet him. She ogled the baby for a moment and then turned her attention towards the dad.

"She gets to go home?" Alexis gathered.

"Yes, everything is set."

"That's great." She looked at her best friend who struggled to give the smallest grin. "That's not great."

"It would be." Jax said, not having to finish the sentence. Alexis knew, it would be fantastic if Carly got to go home with them.

"I actually came to see if you would want to celebrate the holiday with me and the girls. Kristina and Molly would love to spend the time with Britni."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Jax commented.

"Why is that?"

"Your nephew and I don't really get along." He answered. Nikolas and Jax' amicable relationship ended when Nikolas started an affair with Jax' wife at the time. When Courtney became pregnant Jax switched the DNA test results to say the child was his. After Courtney's death, Jax kept the secret. Nikolas never forgave Jax for missing the first months of his son's life.

"That's okay. Nikolas is going to the Brownstone today. He promised to come by later this weekend to see the girls, but he figured Bobbie could really use the support right now, plus Spencer was really excited about spending the day with Cam and Jake." She explained.

"Okay, sure, why not then?" He agreed. "I need to drop some stuff off at the house and let Britni settle into it for a bit, but would two o'clock be okay?"

"That's perfect."

"Would you like me to bring anything?" Jax offered.

"No, just you and Britni. Let me and the girls take care of the rest."  
"Thank you." He replied, it helped knowing that there was somewhere safe that he could go to celebrate the holiday.

"Our pleasure." She replied as he stepped into the elevator.

************

The doorbell rang. Mac greeted Robin and Patrick as they stepped over the threshold. "I can't believe how time flies. How's my little niece doing?" He asked as he picked up Emma. It had only been a couple of weeks since he was over at their house for Emma's first birthday party. Emma let out a giggle as Mac reached her above his head.

"She's doing great! She is still playing with the bows from the presents." Robin confessed.

"Yeah, we're trying to tell her that she is supposed to play with the presents and not the wrapping, maybe next year." Patrick explained.

It was going to be a small gathering at the Scorpio's residence this year; just Mac, Maxie, Spinelli, Robin, Patrick and Emma. Mac was hoping to surprise Robin with at least one of her parent's but both were busy. Felicia was unavailable as per usual.

"Oh, she's wearing the dress I bought her." Maxie cooed as they came into the living room.

"One of the dresses you bought her." Robin clarified. "She's going to be the best dressed toddler in preschool when she gets to that point."

'She better be', Maxie thought, when her cousin is a junior editor at a fashion magazine. "With the combined intellect of her mother and father that will be next year." She boasted.

"Isn't Spinelli supposed to be here?" Robin asked.

"He'll be here later. Sam called yesterday about a case. He wanted to get some work done before dinner." Maxie had wanted to scream at Sam when she found out that Spinelli had to work so close to the holiday. Spinelli claimed that Sam told him that it needed not interfere with family gatherings, but after finding out the details of the case he was very interested in getting started as soon as possible.

"Does he happen to know how Jason is doing?" Robin asked. As much as she was in love with her husband, Jason held a special place in her heart. She felt bad knowing that he was hurting. No matter what she felt about Carly she would have never wished that on anybody.

"No." Maxie answered. "He's been brooding more than normal, but going in and out of the penthouse without saying so much as a word. Believe it or not Spinelli hasn't been able to get a word in edge wise."

Patrick looked somber. He and Robin had not really discussed the case at home. She knew how hard he was taking it. Besides the grief that he usually feels with a loss of a patient there was even more of a feeling of defeat as he tried to save his friend.

Mac decided to change the topic of discussion, hoping to keep this holiday on a lighter note. "Where's your brother?" He asked Patrick.

"He's working tonight." Patrick answered. "I extended your invitation but he thought the hospital could use all the willing hands that they could get."

Monica was trying to be fair with rotating holidays for all staff, but she appreciated anyone who was willing to work in order to give another employee a chance to be with their family. Monica had volunteered to work the day herself since the numbers at the Quartermaine household were dwindling down.

Mac added. "We're going through the same thing at the station, trying to be fair and taking volunteers when we can get them."

"That was nice of Matt." Maxie commented. She was momentarily distracted as Emma climbed onto her lap. She bounced her heals, allowing Emma to have her pony ride.

"Oh, now you're willing to compliment him." Patrick teased. He had noticed a shift Maxie and Matt's friendship when Matt turned his attention to Lulu.

"Well yeah, now that he's not following me around like a lost puppy asking me to throw him a bone."

"Instead you have Spinelli to do that." Patrick added.

"Spinelli does not act like a puppy." She looked at Robin and Patrick, both unconvinced. "Fine, maybe he does, but Spinelli is more like a cute spaniel all happy, and loyal, and with those big floppy ears. Matt was more like those creepy, drooling mastiffs."

They all laughed at the comparison. Mac looked on as his family smiled and laughed. He was more than thankful for what he had. However, a piece of him was lost when Georgie died. That grief had a way of creeping up on a day-to-day basis, but more so during the holidays. He snuck into the kitchen to work on dinner.

***********

Instead of the typical Thanksgiving feast Alexis had decided to provide a few plates of appetizers and keep the snack plates full. Kristina and Molly had already raided the popcorn as they slipped a movie into the DVD player.

"Popcorn for breakfast?" Sam commented as she walked through the living room.

Kristina stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"Please, don't do that." Alexis reprimanded her teen, and then turned her attention to Sam. "Would you join me in the kitchen?"

Sam followed Alexis knowing full well what she wanted to discuss. "Spinelli started working on it last night. As I mentioned before Jason already had his own investigation open. Spinelli had found a link through Devlin and Jerry's bank records, and there was evidence that Claudia ordered the hit on Jerry last April but the original copy of that was destroyed."

"Any leads on where Jerry is now? Jax says that he visited him at General Hospital on Tuesday."

"No, but I did have Spinelli sneak into Jax' house." Sam confessed. "There was a DVD in the player, unfortunately when Spinelli went to play it the DVD was somehow encrypted."

"Why would Jerry do that?" Alexis asked. "If he planned to tell Carly then he had to know she would tell Jason."

"I don't know. Didn't Jax say that he had destroyed all the copies before? Maybe when Carly lost consciousness he decided that he wanted to bury the secret with her." Sam argued.

"Or maybe he just wanted to control the release of the information. I don't know, I'm sorry to even bring this up now, let's just focus on Thanksgiving right now." Trying to figure out the motivation of a psychopath was giving her a headache. She really did hope to give Jax a stress free afternoon.

"I told Spinelli that, but he's working on the encryption now." Sam explained.

"That's good. Maybe I can use that confession to bring up charges against Jerry. If I can somehow get him in town and in custody I may be able to strike a deal if he implicates Claudia. Unfortunately Jerry's word on the DVD isn't enough to legally charge her."

"And you're going to do what? Let him go?" Sam was not sure who deserved the life sentence more, Jerry or Claudia, both were twisted.

"We will cross that bridge when we get there." Alexis answered. The main motivation for Alexis pursuing this was Kristina, who also called Sonny Corinthos dad. When Michael was shot her worst fear came to light, she prayed consistently that his business would never hurt her like it did Michael.

"Mom, we're out of popcorn." Molly said bring the bowl to the kitchen.

"I think you've had enough of that for now. Would you like a pastry? Or something with nutritional value like an apple?"

Molly grabbed for a pastry. 'Of course,' Alexis thought.

"When is Britni coming?"

Alexis looked over at the clock. "Soon."

"Is Morgan coming?" Molly asked hopeful.

"No, Morgan is spending the day with his father, but how about we all go out into the living room and watch the movie?" Molly led the way, and somehow all four of them fit on the sofa.


	14. Chapter 14

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Bobbie asked Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Lucky had brought the boys by early so Liz could start working on the turkey.

"No, everything is set. I have the turkey and stuffing taken care of, as well as the pumpkin pie, and Leslie has volunteered to bring over potatoes, vegetables, and cranberry sauce." Liz explained.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do this."

"We really did." Liz replied. "You have done so much for me and Lucky over the years. Please, just let us do this for you."

"What are you doing in the kitchen?" Lucky asked his aunt. "There's two little boys out there asking for you."

"Busted." She said and backed out of the kitchen with her arms extended over her head. Bobbie was glad that the boys were there and that the house would be full. She hoped that it would keep her mind from wondering.

When she walked into the family room Jake was holding up a piece of the railroad that the boys were assembling. Lucky pointed out the next open spot in the track and Cameron pushed down to secure it in place. Getting bored with the assembly Jake took one of the trains and pushed it across the carpeting, up Bobbie's leg and onto her lap. The doorbell rang.

"Should we see who that is, Jake?" Bobbie asked her great nephew, he nodded his head yes.

Leslie and Lulu came through with their arms full of bowls and platters. Bobbie pointed them into the kitchen, and as soon as Lulu set the food down Jake crawled into her arms. She carried him back to where his dad and Cam were playing. Bobbie and Leslie took a stroll outside as to not crowd the kitchen.

"How are you holding up?" Leslie asked.

"I honestly don't know." Bobbie answered. "I feel like if I stay busy enough, and distracted enough, and focus on everybody else then I won't have to face my feelings."

"I remember that." Leslie confessed. "When Laura got sick I didn't know how I should feel. Should I feel angry, sad, or hopeful? So I pushed them all aside, and focused on raising Lulu. There were definitely rough patches, especially during the holidays, but the family was there. Just like they are for you now. Lean on them if you have to."

"I will." Bobbie responded. "But right now I am going to stick with hopeful."

Nikolas walked up the path to the Brownstone and noticed the women sitting on the patio. Spencer walked nicely beside him carrying a plant inside a clay pot that was definitely painted by a preschooler. The little boy handed it to Bobbie.

"Spencer wanted you to have this." Nikolas told her.

"Thank you Spencer, I will treasure it forever."

Nikolas looked as Spencer expectantly. "You're welcome." Spencer said.

"Now get inside." Leslie directed. "It's cold out here."

"Only if you go too." Luke said, coming up the path.

"I'll give you two a moment." Leslie said and followed Nik and Spencer inside.

"Hi baby sister." Luke greeted Bobbie with a hug. "I stopped by the hospital this morning, I half expected you to be there."

Bobbie stayed late with Britni, Lucas returned to the hospital after grocery shopping and used the time to sit with his sister. She was almost falling asleep when Lucas encouraged her to go home with him. "Lucas thought it would be good for me to sleep in my own bed."

"Lucas is a smart man." Luke remarked. "I sat with her for awhile, until Jason showed up."

Bobbie nodded. Carly and Luke had an odd relationship, they were too alike to actually get along, but being a Spencer meant something to each of them. When someone became important to a Spencer they would lay down their life to protect them. Luke respected that in Carly, and he respected that she was important to his sister. "Britni was being discharged today."

"Yeah, I saw Jax leaving the hospital, that little one is definitely a fighter."

"Let's go inside." Bobbie suggested, she felt a knot tighten in her throat just thinking about her daughter.

Inside Spencer and Cam assembled the track, while Jake continued to steer his train on ever surface he could find. Lucky and Lucas found themselves building stores and cabins out of logs and setting up trees along the path. Lulu watched trying to figure out who was having more fun the toddlers or the "grown-ups."

Liz and Leslie stood side by side in the kitchen putting finishing touches on the dishes before they went into the oven. "Where's Audrey?" Leslie asked.

Liz told Leslie about the cruise that her grandmother had decided to take over the holiday. She thought it was great that she was getting out, Liz felt guilty about how often she had to call on Audrey for babysitting.

**********

"I can't believe you just did that." Michael commented to Morgan. "Watch out, because I'm after you now."

It was incredible how accelerated his brother had become at playing when he was in the coma. Michael actually had to work to get the high score, at this point, though; he was hoping to use the video game as a distraction.

"If you can catch me." Morgan quipped back. They were playing an aviation chase game, and Morgan had gained the lead by unethical means.

As the children played upstairs, Sonny let out his pent up frustration on the potatoes he was chopping. Sonny was going for more of a gourmet style turkey loin dinner with red potatoes cut and baked with oil and basil.

"I can't believe you invited the trollop." Claudia remarked, cutting the vegetables beside him.

"You invited Johnny."

"He's my brother." Defended Claudia.

"Well, they're dating, or together, or whatever they are doing." Sonny said disgusted. Even though he was the last person that should be complaining he felt weird about the age gap between them, especially since Olivia had a son the same age. Although Claudia was sure that his distaste for the couple was actually his green eyed monster showing its form.

"I suppose that means Dante is coming as well."

"He is Olivia's son."

"Great, just great." She replied. She had no idea that Dominic Porelli, a foot soldier in her fathers' organization, was actually Dante Falconeri from Benson Hurst when she had her fling with him a couple years back.

"This isn't how I imagined spending my Thanksgiving either." He added. Although he thought he deserved it. That was what his marriage to Claudia was about, getting what he deserved versus what he wanted. What he never wanted was for his children to pay for the fallout. He hoped that he could still give them the best holiday possible.

Claudia saw the grief he was experiencing. She wished that she could mean half as much to her husband as Carly did. Everything in the house was a memento to her memory; she could not walk ten feet without running into something that had his ex-wife's fingerprints on it. The only thing tying them together was the baby growing inside of her, and she still held out hope that when she came that would bridge the gap between them.

"I'll get that." She said hearing the thud on the door.

"Hi sis." Johnny greeted her with a hug.

"Where is you date?" Claudia asked.

"She is bringing a gift in from the car." Just as he finished his sentence Olivia walked up with a bottle of wine.

"Oh gee, thanks." Claudia remarked sarcastically. Just what she wanted to get through the holiday, and she couldn't have due to the pregnancy.

"I'll bring it in to Sonny." Olivia commented, brushing through the insincere small talk.

"You keep your hands off my husband." Claudia warned knowing full well the history and sexual tension between them.

Johnny tried to focus his sister's attention off of Olivia. "How are you and my niece doing?"

"Your niece is fine. Your sister is living in a memorial to her husbands' ex-wife and dealing with a nine-year-old that can't stand the site of her."

"Morgan is taking it hard?" Johnny gathered. He wasn't that much younger than Morgan when he lost his mother, and because of that he really felt for the boy.

Claudia nodded. This was the first time in quite a while that she celebrated Thanksgiving, she wished it was different. She wanted to bring her child into a family of unconditional love. "Can we sit down, my feet are getting sore."

Johnny followed her into the family den. He picked up an old photograph of Michael, Morgan, and Carly building sand castles at the island. Each of them were smiling out in the sun.

"Do you see what I mean?" Claudia asked.

"Yeah, but she'll have that." Johnny was convinced. "Even if it's just the three of us."

Claudia smiled; she knew that her brother would always have her back, even if he did think she was making a huge mistake. Yes, this baby would be loved, and that was all that mattered. Another knock was heard at the door.

"Isn't there supposed to be security around here?" Johnny asked.

"They are out patrolling the yard." Claudia explained. "And apparently Max and Dianne have some celebration planned."

"Okay." Johnny responded, not needing to hear anymore. "I'll get that then; you stay off your feet."

Mike walked in with some fresh pastries from Kelly's. "I wasn't sure if you would have eaten breakfast yet." He explained as he offered one to Claudia.

"Thank you." She responded grabbing the one with the most sugar on the top. "Just what the baby wanted."

"I'm glad." Mike had mixed feelings about his new daughter-in-law but felt he was the last person that should be judging. He appreciated that Sonny chose to stay with his child, which was more than he could say for himself. "Is Sonny in there?"

Claudia nodded. "And Michael and Morgan are upstairs. I'm sure they would be thrilled to see you."

"Yeah, I'll go up there in a moment." He said, making his way to the kitchen.

***********

The girls' huddled around Britni as she stared back at them from in her car seat. She was sucking on the binky that Jax had picked up for her on the way over. Her first trip home was difficult. After her feeding he had tried to lay her down for a quick nap but she was too fussy. She continued to cry as he picked her up and tried rocking her in her chair. He had limited success when he wrapped her in her quilt, and then tried to see if a car ride might calm her down enough to fall asleep.

"Can I hold her?" Sam asked.

Jax nodded. She picked up the baby. Her binky dropped out and Britni started screaming again. Sam coddled her up on her shoulder and gently bounced. The infant continued to cry.

"I think she misses her mommy." Molly observed.

Kristina nodded. "I think you are right."

"Here, let me take her." Jax offered, he put the binky back in her mouth and paced back and forth between the two closest rooms. Slowly Britni's eyes closed. "I'm so sorry about this." Jax apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I've had my share of fussy infants." Alexis responded, and looked over at Molly.

"What?" She asked as all eyes were on her.

Kristina just smiled and shook her head; remembering all the late nights with Molly screaming.

"How about we play a board game?" Alexis suggested.

"Oh, I have Cranium." Molly ran to her room.

"I think I'm going to have to sit this one out." Jax commented as he sat on the couch holding his daughter. The four gathered around the coffee table, the teams became Alexis and Molly, versus Kristina and Sam. Molly started by rolling the dye and which landed her on a yellow spot.

"The word ones, they are my favorite."

Alexis picked up a card and read the directions. "Spell the word fictitious backwards."

Sam whispered over to Kristina. "I don't know if I could spell it forwards."

"She's good." Kristina commented.

"S-U-O-I-S, no wait, that's T not S, I-T-C-I-F."

Jax' eyes perked open. He was impressed by the third graders' ability. Alexis took the next roll for their team. Molly picked out a humdinger card. Unsure of what the song was she held it up for Jax to see. He started humming in her ear and she attempted to copy.

"Hey, that's not fair." Kristina objected.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Alexis confessed.

"It's the theme from Gilligan's Island." Jax divulged and then continued to sing the song out loud.

Sam and Kristina laughed. Kristina rolled next. She landed on a blue spot and Sam picked out a club cranium, meaning both teams got to act it out and try to guess. Kristina and Molly both volunteered to do the acting. Jax held out the card for both to see. The paused to figure out how they were going to go about acting. Kristina started by putting her fingers an inch apart.

"Small." Sam guessed.

Kristina waved her hand to encourage her to keep guessing.

"Little!" Kristina nodded yes. She then started flinging her arms around in a breast stroke.

"Little swimmer?" Sam guessed.

Molly looked over at her mom and placed her feet in a ballet first position and gestured her hand in front of her mouth as if she was singing.

"Little mermaid." Alexis guessed.

"Darn." Kristina remarked.

"That was a mermaid?" Sam asked.

Molly then got to move to the next spot and roll again. Jax watched as the game continued. He smiled and laughed as they did. For moments at a time he felt genuinely happy. As Britni woke up she seemed to be in a better mood; responding well to the positive energy in the room.


	15. Chapter 15

"What are you two doing up here?" Dante asked peeking into Morgan's room.

"Playing." Morgan said, keeping his attention focused on the game.

"Mind if I join in?" Dante asked. Ever since his first meeting with the Corinthos children in the woods Dante had a certain brotherly fondness for Morgan. Morgan reminded him of himself, except his lack of technological aptitude. Morgan possessed the same combination of fearlessness and spunk that his mother always griped to him about.

"Yes, please. Take my spot." Michael said handing the controller over. Morgan was in the distant lead with no hope of Michael catching up. As soon as the controller was handed over Dante crashed his plane. The two boys laughed.

"I am going on record saying this is nothing like driving a car." He defended himself.

"You suck." Michael teased. By the end of the race Dante had somehow brought Michael's fourth place to eleventh.

"Do you want to play again?" Morgan urged.

"Sure now that I'm getting the hang of it." He did keep himself away from the last place.

Morgan directed the game through the set up options and each got to pick their pilot and plane.

"Hey boys." Olivia said opening the door. She saw Dante and Morgan sitting side-by-side, and for a moment was caught off guard.

"Mom? What's up?" Dante asked.

"Dinner's ready." She informed them. Besides the short break to eat pastries and visit with Grandpa Mike, Michael and Morgan had spent the entire morning in the room.

"Rematch after dinner?" Dante challenged Morgan.

"You're on." The nine-year-old accepted. The headed down the stairs to sit down for the meal. Sonny, Mike, Claudia, and Johnny were already seated.

"Morgan, would you like to say grace?" Sonny asked. Everybody folded their hands and bowed their heads and Morgan started.

"Bless us, O Lord! And these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen."

"Amen." The table joined in.

"This looks really good Sonny. Thank you." Claudia commented.

"Yes, delicious." Olivia added. Others made comments and discussions broke out around the table.

"Don't just look at it." Sonny remarked. "Dig in."

Michael was the first to pick up his fork and take a bite. "I swear, dad, you are the only one I know that can make broccoli taste good."

Sonny dropped the glass he was holding and water splashed on the table next to him. He froze as Claudia used her napkin to clean it up.

"Dad, what is it?" Morgan asked.

"Nothing, sorry." He said cleaning up the rest of the puddle.

"What?" Claudia prodded. He was obviously still shaken up.

"It's nothing." Sonny repeated. "Just something Carly used to say."

"Oh." Claudia responded as the room grew silent.

"I'm sorry." Sonny said looking toward his wife.

Dante tried easing the tension by asking Johnny about his work in the garage. Catching on to the distraction Johnny started talking about the Corvette the owner had asked him to detail. Olivia joined in asking about the make and the model. Both Michael and Morgan held their gaze at Sonny and Claudia.

"It's okay." Claudia replied. He had obviously picked up on her feelings of inferiority at the mention of his ex-wife. She looked over at Michael and Morgan. "She was a major part of your life."

"I know. I just shouldn't…" Sonny stopped. "Does anyone need anything to drink? Water? Wine?"

"I'll take some wine." Mike chimed in.

"Me too." Michael tried.

"No." His father responded.

Michael looked to his right. "I had to try."

Johnny smirked.

***********

Team Molly and Alexis were in the lead with only one more challenge to defeat in order to win the game. Alexis picked out the card from the drawing challenge pile. The directions read that she must get her teammate to guess the answer by drawing with her eyes closed. Kristina flipped the timer as Alexis started to draw. She started with some wavy lines.

"Water!" Molly guessed.

Alexis nodded her head, yes. Then placed in arrow where she thought was below the wavy lines, pointing down.

"Under water?" Molly asked.

Alexis shook her head no. She then attempted to draw a stick figure facing down.

"Diver!" Molly shouted out.

Again, Alexis nodded. She then used her pencil tip to try to point out each of the images; horribly missing each of them. Kristina and Sam kept their eyes on the time.

"Deep sea diver!" Molly finally guessed.

"Yes." Alexis let out a shrill.

"You have got to be kidding me." Kristina remarked; however, she did figure out why this was her sister's favorite game. Molly gave Britni a hug in celebration, and Britni giggled. A ringtone went off and everyone looked down to check their cell phone.

"That's me. It'll be just a moment." Sam said and walked out of the room, Alexis followed. "Spinelli?"

"Victory has befallen the Jackal!" He answered.

"You cracked it?" Sam exclaimed. "That's great!"

"The disc has confirmed what Stone Cold surmised. The Vixenella and Unhinged One were working collectively the night that the dastardly plot was put into motion."

"Okay, that's enough to put a warrant out for Jerry, the next step is to find Jerry and bring him here."

"The Jackal is currently on route to the commissioners abode, shall I bequeath the evidence with the Law Abiding One?"

"He wants to know if he should leave the DVD with Mac?" Sam asked Alexis.

"The sooner we can open this case the better." Alexis confirmed.

Alexis picked up a plate of turkey meatballs and brought them into the living room where Molly and Kristina were picking up the game. She set the plate down, and Jax grabbed the tip of the toothpick to try. "These are good." He remarked.

"They're open for everyone." She invited the girls to take part.

Sam game in from the kitchen carrying a fruit bowl and a tray of some sort of spinach wrap. "What game should we play next?"

"I think it's my turn to decide." Kristina said, and picked out Yatzee from the game table.

"Not again." Molly whined. "You always win that one."

"I know." Kristina responded. "Jax, are you playing?"

"Sure, Britni and I can give it a shot."

************

Making his entrance known at the Brownstone, Ethan announced, "I've brought the refreshments, the party can now start."

He carried in a cooler with a 12 pack and any liquor from the haunted star that he could pack. "Hey thanks, can I have one of those?" Lucky asked, pointed to the beer.

Ethan reached in and threw a can over to Lucky and then looked to Lucas and Luke, Lucas held his hand out, Ethan handed him a can. Luke shook his head no. "Really?" He asked, not knowing his new found father to ever turn down a drink.

Luke sat on the lazy boy watching the kids play with the train set, but his thought focused on his sister. He watched as she went from room to room, popping from conversation to conversation and he knew what she was doing. "Nah, I'm probably going to be out driving later." Luke admitted.

Little Jake started digging his hand in the cooler. Lulu picked him up and turned his attention elsewhere. "That's a daddy drink." She explained.

"Where's the football?" Ethan asked. He saw the intricate structures that circled the sofa. "I thought that was an American custom?"

"That's right, I lost track of time. The Cowboy's should be playing." Lucky commented and turned on the television set.

Lulu glared over at Ethan and threw a pillow into his face. He simply grinned and dropped in on the floor to sit on. Lulu brought Cameron, Jake, and Spencer into the bedroom for a quick nap before dinner was ready.

"Thank you for watching them?" Liz said and Lulu closed the door behind her.

"You're welcome. Thank you for dinner. I know this means a lot to Aunt Bobbie." Lulu responded.

"It's the least I can do." Liz added. "Are you holding up okay?"

"Yeah, I have my moments, but I'm not giving up on her." Lulu explained.

"That's good. I heard you have a date with Matt Hunter tomorrow." She pressed.

"He's been really nice to me lately." Lulu knew that his original request to go out was to drive Maxie crazy, but when they actually started hanging out it was fun. Matt wanted this date to be official, in the dressing up and fancy meal sort of a way.

"What are my girls talking about?" Leslie asked.

"Boys, what else?" Lulu answered.

"Speaking of boys are you and Lucky now official?" Leslie asked.

"Pretty much. He has been spending most of the time at the house with me and the boys, and it is going well. We just don't want to put any labels on it yet."

"I understand; that's when it gets all complicated." Bobbie added. The girls laughed, knowing it was true.

"What are all my favorite women doing huddled in the hallway?" Nikolas asked, too polite for his own good.

"Shouldn't you be in the living room watching football?" His sister asked.

"That's not football." Nikolas clarified. Nik grew up in Greece where football was what the US called soccer.

They moved their conversation into the living room as to not disturb the children from sleeping. Ethan, Lucky, and Lucas were entranced in the game. Hushing the girls when it looked as though Dallas was going to score. Lulu wondered the reason for being quiet; it was not as though the sport used the auditory sense much anyway, if anything the announcers were the most annoying part of the game.

At the start of the third quarter Liz entered the room. "Sorry to spoil the game, but I'm going to wake up the boys from their nap and then it's time to eat."

"Thank God." Lulu said and went to the dinning room to help set the table. Cam was the first ready, he came over, and Lulu handed him the napkins that he folded and put into place. Bobbie and Leslie brought the platters in, and Luke helped by lighting the candles. In the center of the table was the plant that Spencer had brought for Bobbie. Once everyone was seated Leslie said a quick prayer and then gave a moment for their silent thanksgivings.

Bobbie bowed her head and flashed through previous thanksgivings with BJ and Carly, she was hit with a sudden pain in her chest that caused her to gasp.

"Mom?" Lucas asked. "Are you okay?"

Bobbie sat in her chair stunned. She unconvincingly nodded her head yes. She was physically fine, but left with a shiver. She sat quiet through the entirety of the meal, listening to the conversations around her. After she had picked through her food enough that it looked convincing she got up and went to the kitchen. Luke followed her.

She propped herself up against the kitchen sink taking deep breaths. As Luke approached, she extended her arms for a hug. He held her as she cried on her shoulder.

"Do you want a ride to the hospital?" He asked. Bobbie just nodded.


	16. Chapter 16

It had only been a couple hours between the time that Jason had fallen asleep and jarred awake with yet another dream ending with Carly's disappearance. As his eyes shot open he knew he had to be with her. When he arrived at the hospital Luke was sitting with Carly. He explained that he didn't want to leave his niece alone, which Jason appreciated, but gladly offered his chair over to him. Jason spent the entire day by her side. Monica checked in often and brought food and coffee. He held her hand. Jason knew that if it was the other way around she would probably be talking his ear off, but he figured that she already knew anything he would speak out loud.

"Jase," Monica peaked her head in again. "There's a turkey dinner prepared for the hospital staff. Would you like anything?"

"No, thank you. How late are you working?" He asked.

"Until nine, why?" She asked stepping into the room. That was the most he had said to her all day.

"I'm curious as to why you're not spending the holiday at home."

"Holiday's haven't been the same since Emily died." She answered. "Edward and Tracy should be having the traditional Quartermaine pizza. I know Ned and Dillon called earlier this morning to wish her a happy Thanksgiving. Edward was hoping that Michael would spend the holiday at the estate. I thought I could be of more use here." She put her hand on his shoulder, and he placed his open hand on top.

"Mom." Jason said, which was a rare occasion. "Do you think there's a chance that she's going to get through this?"

He could not help but think about the initial statistic that she was given. After surgery Patrick was convinced that if she did not wake within 48 hours that she probably wouldn't. Looking at the clock, Jason had realized that it was just past 50 hours since surgery ended. The test results confirmed his theory that if it was not soon, it was not going to happen.

"There's always a chance. You should know that." He and Michael were both proof that the doctor's didn't always get it right.

"Dianne Miller stopped by today." Jason explained.

"I thought I saw her getting onto the elevator." Monica mentioned. "Am I to assume that she wanted to talk to you about Carly's wishes?"

Jason nodded. Dianne tried to be sensitive, but wanted to go over the DNR orders. Carly wanted them to try to bring her back but did not want to be kept alive by medical machinery. She had also brought up Carly's desire to be a donor. "I pretty much knew, but she doesn't want to go on life support."

"That's typical." Monica explained. "Usually when it gets to that point, if someone were to regain consciousness they'd be beyond the point where they could have the same quality of life they had before."

He remembered the struggle that Carly had after she woke up from her gunshot wound. Whereas she remembered everyone and all the events of her former life she felt disconnected. Her husband, best friend, children, mother all felt distant to her and she had sent herself into a psych ward trying to feel what wasn't there.

"Jason, I have my rounds to make. Are you going to be okay?"

He nodded yes, and then focused back on Carly, trying to give her all the strength he had inside of him. He felt himself start to drift off again as he laid his head back in the chair. The sound of one of the machines going off startled Jason awake. He looked forward to see the heart monitor at a flat line. Jason stared, not knowing if what he was seeing was real, but hearing nurses rushing towards the door. Monica was the first one in calling for an injection of vasopressin. She immediately started chest compressions.

"I'm sorry, Jason, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He got up and left the room. He stared through the window; his gaze never leaving Carly. As he watched his mother press the heels of her palms into Carly's chest he felt his legs give out from underneath him. Epiphany was standing less than a foot away from him, and caught him from behind and guided him to the floor. Jason sat with his back against the wall staring out; his mind could not focus on any one thing.

Monica left Carly's room and went to talk to Epiphany who had made her way to the nurse's station which stood less than 300 feet away. "I need you to contact the family." Monica advised.

"What should I tell them?" Epiphany asked.

"Her heart stopped. We were able to resuscitate, but it is a clear indication that the brain stem is giving out." Monica struggled to complete her thought. "It is time to say goodbye."

***********

The Scorpio's had just sat down for dinner when they heard the doorbell. Maxie ran to the entrance and threw her arms around Spinelli when he walked in. "I knew you were going to make it." She said.

"The Jackal would never knowingly stand up his fair Maximista unless under the most dire of circumstances; however, not only did I come to share in substance and grateful tidings, but to deliver evidence of the most heinous of plots to Maximista's parental unit."

"That can wait until after dinner. Everyone is waiting." Maxie dragged him into the dinning room.

"Good to see you." Robin greeted.

"The sentiment is always mutual." Spinelli replied.

"How is the case going?" Patrick asked, as everyone started eating. Emma sat in her highchair with potatoes, peas, and pieces of turkey that Robin had cut into cubes.

He had a heightened respect for Jackal PI when he helped solve the murder of the Mayor's mistress. Spinelli described the technical expertise it took to decrypt the disc he was working on, but was careful to not give out any information to the nature of the disc or the case McCall and Jackal PI were working on. As dinner drug on and people piled another round of food on their plates Maxie talked about her position at the magazine and how successful the last issue was. She was; however, looking for the relief of time that would occur when Jax hired on a new head editor.

"Okay, I know this sounds corny." Robin started as the plates cleared and the belts loosened. "But let's go around the room saying what we are thankful for."

"I'll start." Maxie volunteered. "Of course I am thankful for my family, and my job, but right now I am most thankful for the one person that can see the good in me and makes me believe in that person."

Spinelli blushed at Maxie's gratitude. Sitting next to her right was Mac. "I am thankful for all of you. I am grateful that my girls have found partners who acknowledge and respect how special they truly are."

As Mac was giving his speech Patrick's pager went off. He looked at the message provided and stood from the table. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." He said and left the room.

"Okay," Robin said giving a worried glance in the direction Patrick stormed out the room. "I guess it's my turn then. There I'm grateful for the chance I've been given to be a mother. There was a time when I didn't think it was possible. Earlier this year I was debilitated to a point where I was unable to function in that role. Thank you to everyone who stood by me and saw me through it."

"There was never a doubt in my mind." Mac commented.

"Spinelli?" Maxie asked.

"This past year, more than any other, has taught me the depths of how remarkable each breath we take and each sense we feel truly is. Time is waning. The Jackal finds his grace in the mere moments spent in the presents of those he deeply cherishes." He said wrapping his arm around Maxie.

Patrick walked back into the room, his eyes wide as if he had just been visited by Marley's ghost.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"Her heart stopped." Patrick responded.

"Is she…?" Maxie tried to place dead or gone in the blank but was unable to complete the thought.

"Not yet." He said, his lips quivering.

***********

Kristina was on her third role. She only needed one more five to get the yatzee. She shook the dye hard and blew into her hand.

"Oh, come one. Get on with it." Sam said impatiently. She had Britni sitting on her lap.

Kristina released the dye, anticipation mounted as it rolled across the table. "Yes!" She screamed as she counted the five dots. "And I will take that under four of a kind and yatzee bonus."

Molly rolled her eyes. Alexis wasn't sure where her daughters luck in this game came from, but she was half tempted to sneak Kristina onto the Haunted Star with her one night. Another ringtone went off and again everyone looked down to see if it was there's.

"My turn." Jax joked. "Hello, this is Jasper Jax."

"Mr. Jax, this is nurse Epiphany Johnson."

Jax took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Mr. Jax but your wife's heart just stopped. Dr. Quartermaine asked me to contact the family. She was able to establish a rhythm, but thinks it is best that the family comes down to say goodbye."

Jax sat in shock. "Okay," was all that he could muster out and then hung up the phone. The Davis women all stopped what they were doing and looked on in concern.

"Jax?" Alexis questioned as he got up and went outside. She followed him out to the patio. Jax just shook his head no, tears were forming. Alexis held him. "What did she say?"

"It's time." Jax cried. "Time to say goodbye."

"I'm so sorry." Alexis offered. "Would you like me to drive?"

"I need to bring Britni." Jax answered.

"The girls can watch her."

"No." He said. "Carly hasn't held her yet."

"I want to come too." Kristina said walking out to the patio.

"Kristina, I don't think that is a good idea." Alexis responded. She knew it was a matter of time before Carly died, and didn't want her sixteen-year-old there when it happened.

"Michael is going to need me." She replied.

Unable to argue, Alexis encouraged her to grab her coat. Britni started getting fussy as Jax laid her in the car seat. Molly watched everyone scrambling to leave, she sat on Sam's lap wondering what Morgan was going through, and if there was anything she could do to help.

***********

Bobbie was about to explain to the family why she had to leave when the phone rang.

"I'll answer it." Lucas volunteered, and left the dinning room.

"Is everything okay?" Lucky asked his aunt.

"I don't think so." Bobbie admitted.

Liz reached out to hold Lucky's hand. The adults sat quietly awaiting Lucas' return. The only noise in the room came from Jake chattering. Cam and Spencer sat on the floor harmoniously playing with their toys. After a couple minutes; and what felt like hours, Lucas returned, his eyes were red. Nikolas reached his arm around to hold Lulu.

Lucas repeated what Epiphany told him, which confirmed what Bobbie knew. It was bad. Leslie started to stand up to offer support.

"Is it time for pie?" Cameron asked.

Lucky looked over and with tears in his eyes, smiled and laughed. 'How precious was the innocence from the mouths of babes?' He thought.

"Yes, Cam. Go help Spencer wash up and I'll get you some pie." Leslie answered.

Lulu rested her head on Nikolas' shoulder and cried. Travel plans were discussed, Luke and Elizabeth offered to drive while Leslie stayed back with the children.

**********

"Hello, Corinthos residence." Claudia answered. After a brief moment she handed the phone to Sonny.

"It's for you." She said morose. "It's the hospital."

He picked up the receiver, adding a couple of 'okay's' and 'are you sure's' to the conversation before hanging up. All attention turned to Sonny when he announced, "She's dying."

"No." Michael uttered, shaking his head back and forth.

"You're lying." Morgan cried.

Sonny stepped forward to console his son.

"Don't touch me!" Morgan screamed and ran upstairs. There were crashing noises heard from the room upstairs.

"Let me..." Johnny offered and darted to Morgan's room.

Sonny again stepped forward to follow. This time Claudia stopped him. "He knows." She said. If anyone could get through to Morgan it was Johnny. Sonny struggled with staying to make sure Morgan was okay and rushing to Carly's side. He didn't want to miss anytime he had with her.

Michael looked over to his father. "Dad, can we go?" He pleaded.

Sonny glanced around the room searching for an answer.

"You guys go." Olivia told Sonny, Mike, and Michael. "Dante and I will make sure that Morgan gets there."

He stood still trying to process everything.

"Go." Olivia pressed. Claudia left with her husband.

Morgan started throwing video games, shoes, and remote controls, anything he could find that had some weight to it. He knocked over his computer monitor and broke his table lamp. Johnny stepped toward him. "Go away." He urged.

"I'm not going anywhere." Johnny replied.

Morgan curled his fingers and started flailing his fists into Johnny's stomach as he cried. Johnny caught his wrists and knelt down to face Morgan.

"She promised." He cried. "She promised that she'd never leave me. She told me that she'd always be there!"

Johnny brought him into an embrace. "Morgan, I'm not going to tell you that I know what you are going through, because I don't. It's different for everybody. I can tell you that I know what it feels like to lose your mother way too soon."

Morgan stopped crying and backed a step away. "You do?" He asked, still sniffling.

"I do, and I know that she didn't lie to you. Morgan, she will always be there because she is a part of you. You may not understand that now, but when you're scared or upset, she'll be there to comfort you. When you're happy about an accomplishment, you will feel her smiling down at you."

Morgan hugged Johnny again. "Do you promise?"

"I promise." He responded.


	17. Chapter 17

As Epiphany picked up the phone to call Carly's husband, Monica walked over to approach Jason. She hated having to ask him to leave but she needed that space for the hospital staff to give her the optimal care. It had been a long time since she had seen her son that vulnerable, and she wished that she could pick him up and cradle him in her arms like she had when he was a young boy.

"Jason." Monica said, hoping to get some sort of response. "You should go back in and say what you need to."

Jason did not say anything; he barely looked at her, but he got up and walked into Carly's room. He held her hand and rested his back in his chair allowing himself to drift off somewhere that he knew Carly would be.

_He sat on the benches over the harbor. He looked out, the night sky was lit up and the full moon shown overhead. He thought back to the night that Carly marched into his life. She was at Jake's dancing in front of the jukebox when he walked in; he spent the evening unable to take his eyes off of her. He remembered the night a desperate Carly walked in from the rain asking her to agree to be Michael's father, and the time he spent with Carly and Michael in Florida. He recalled his reasons for leaving Port Charles and the news of Carly's death that pulled him back. He envisioned the smile on her face as she ran down the steps in and greeted him with a hug. He remembered their adventure to South America, and the drinking contest she was forced in to. He thought back to the day of his trial when she showed up demanding that he wear the blue shirt that she had picked out for him. Jason flashed back to his wedding day when a teary eyed Carly provided him with his cufflinks. He remembered holding her when her son was proclaimed dead. He saw them hiking through the Marquis Islands as Carly was hardly able to stand, and remembered standing by her side as she pledged her love to her husband. He finally thought back to the day that she told him about the condition she was suffering from, and promising to get through it. _

_"A penny for your thoughts?" Carly asked sitting on the bench beside him. _

_Jason continued staring off into the horizon._

_"Jason, I…"_

_"No." Jason cut her off. "Anything you are about to say is only going to sound like goodbye."_

_Carly couldn't argue that point. "I need to say thank you, Jase. Thank you for always being there for me. Thanks for catching me when I fell and cleaning up after all my messes. Everything I have is because of you. It's because you would not let me give up on myself. You always knew what I needed, and even though I fought you, you never let me down." He could hear the tears in her voice. He placed his hand in her lap and she held on._

_"Do you remember when we were in the Marquis Islands?" Jason asked._

_"How could I forget?" She responded._

_"We were lying in the hotel bed and you had just gotten over delirium."_

_"I remember."_

_"You asked me if I ever thought about what it would have been like if we would have gotten it right."_

_Carly smiled. "You were right. I'm happy with how things turned out. I have you as my best friend, Michael, Morgan and now Britni."_

_"I was wrong. I told you that you were unable to break my heart. I've learned in the last couple of days." Jason stopped to hold back tears. "I learned that my heart would shatter without you."_

_Carly wrapped her arms around Jason. "Jase, can I have this dance?"_

_"There's no music." He responded._

_"Listen carefully." She said, and stood up. She pulled him in closer and he set his arms around her waist and let her rest her head on his shoulder. _

_The stars magically got brighter as he heard the music in the background. Carly sang along to the lyrics._

_"If I could save time in a bottle_

_The first thing that I'd like to do_

_Is to save everyday _

_Till eternity passes away_

_Just to spend them with you._

_If I could make days last forever_

_If words could make wishes come true_

_I'd save every day like a treasure and then_

_Again, I would spend them with you_

_But there never seems to be enough time_

_To do the things you want to do_

_Once you find them_

_I've looked around enough to know_

_That you're the one I want to go_

_Through time with."_

_Jason held her hoping the moment could last forever. As the song drew to a close Carly's ankle twisted and she stumbled backwards into the water._

"_Carly!" Jason shouted._

_The water was freezing as it attempted to engulf her. She fought to keep her head up but felt her lungs being crushed by the piercing strikes of the current._

"_Give me your hand." He pleaded._

_She felt herself slip into the abyss, but reached towards Jason. He grabbed her wrists and was able to pull her closer before reaching under her arms and pulling her to shore. Jason tore off his coat and encased it around her. She lay, not breathing, and her skin ghastly white. As Jason bent over to give her mouth-to-mouth she faded until there was nothing left but a cold, wet, leather jacket. He sat on the docks with his knees pressed against his chest. He bowed his head and let himself cry, unable to move, and begging the harbor to take him too._

"Jason." He heard the voice weak.

_He looked around and saw no one._

"Jason." He heard again, and felt pressure on his hand. He fought to wake himself up. When he opened his eyes he saw his best friend looking back at him.

"Are you real?" He asked as he scooted forward in his chair, completely unsure of his present sanity.


	18. Chapter 18

"I think so." The searing pain running from her head to her hips seemed to be a decent clue.

"How do you feel?"

"Like my brain has ballooned up to twice its size, I've had my guts ripped out, and a two ton weight was dropped on my chest." She described.

Jason stood up.

"Don't, don't go." She pleaded.

"I'm not." He responded. "I'm just pushing the call button."

He reached across and pushed the big red button, and sat back down. Carly tried to reposition herself but the grimace she gave told the story.

"Relax." Jason advised. "You've been through a lot. We thought we lost you."

Dr. Matt Hunter was the first to arrive. "Well, I'll be damned." He said approaching the patient. He took a flashlight and shined it into her eyes to check the dilation.

"What do you think?" Carly asked.

"I think Patrick is more brilliant than he gives himself credit for, but don't tell him I said that." He smiled. "I'll be back in a moment, and bring some lisinopril and cumadin to help control the ZBT."

"She's in a lot of pain." Jason added.

"I'll make sure to get some morphine on the pump." Dr. Hunter replied, and then looked over at Carly. "You just hang in there, and take it easy."

Carly nodded. Monica stepped in immediately after Dr. Hunter left.

"Hi," Carly greeted, again trying to reposition herself.

"Careful." Monica cautioned. "I think we may have broken a rib when resuscitating you."

Carly looked concerned. "I died?"

"You flat lined. Your family is on their way now. I am going to have to tell them I was premature in my diagnosis. Thank you for proving me wrong and welcome back."

"How long? And my baby?" She asked, getting agitated.

"Your baby is perfect." Jason commented, squeezing her hand tighter.

"You lost consciousness two days ago. The baby was removed, and then Dr. Drake took out the clot forming in your brain. Carly, do you remember anything leading up to the collapse?" Monica asked.

She closed her eyes trying to think back to the last thing she remembered. "I was at my mom's dropping off Morgan. Oh my God, Morgan!"

"Morgan is going to be fine." Jason said, trying to keep her calm.

"Carly, it is important that you stay calm. Like I said, your family is on their way. I'm only going to allow two at a time to visit, but if it gets to be too much you have to let somebody know." As that was said a nurse walked in with her pills and the morphine for the IV.

"Is there anything else we should know? If she gets tired…?" Jason asked, afraid to do or say anything that would set her back.

"She can go to sleep." Monica answered. "There's no reason to believe that she would slip back, if she takes it easy, Dr. Drake will be back in the morning to run more tests."

"I just slept for 48 hours. I should be okay for awhile." She told Jason.

"Fifty four hours and forty seven minutes since I got your phone call, but who's counting?"

"What, no seconds?" Carly teased.

"There isn't a second hand on my cell phone." He responded.

The first to arrive was Jax, carrying her precious baby girl. Carly pressed the button to move the head of her bed to a sitting position, she reached her arms out, and Jax set her daughter in her arms. "Hi Britni." Carly said, and swore she saw the infant's lips curl to a smile. "It's your mommy."

"I'll give you a moment." Jason said about to step out.

"Hold on." Jax said, and pulled him aside in the hallway. "Has she said what she remembers?"

"Nothing to indicate that she remembers anything with Jerry." Jason answered. "Don't push her."

"This is a miracle. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize that." Jax insisted. He knew that he had to eventually tell her, but right now his focus was getting her well. Jax stepped back into the room admiring the scene of his two favorite women bonding for the first time. Carly wasn't sure if the medication was working or seeing her daughter made the pain melt away, but she was already starting to feel better.

"Happy Thanksgiving." Carly told her husband.

"It is now." He squeezed Carly's shoulder and placed his finger in Britni's grip.

Luke had rushed to the hospital as fast as he could without getting into an accident; Bobbie, Lucas, and Ethan rode with. As they ran out of the tenth floor elevator they were greeted by Jason.

"She's awake." He explained.

Bobbie smiled and walked over to the window. She watched her daughter smile while holding Britni. She waved Luke and Lucas over to see it.

"Oh my Lord. She's amazing." Lucas watched. Only Carly could be on the brink of imminent death and pull through.

"She's a Spencer." Luke added, remembering what that meant. Jax saw Bobbie standing in the window and waved her in. She walked towards her with caution unsure that she could trust her own eyes.

"Hi, mamma." Carly greeted her. "Look, it's a girl!"

Bobbie let out tears of joy. "Yes. Yes it is, and I should have known you were going to fight your way back to be with her."

Jax slipped out to give her time with her mother.

"Don't tell me that you, of all people, gave up."

"Not until I felt you slipping away." She confessed.

"Then it's a good thing I had Jason here to pull me back." She responded. Carly wasn't sure how, but before waking up she felt Jason reaching out to pull her back from the darkness. Britni started to squirm in her arms.

"I think she's hungry." Bobbie explained

Carly looked down at her child. "Should I?"

Bobbie nodded yes. As Carly brought Britni up to her chest she gasped and brought her down, obviously still in pain.

"Hey Carly." Jax rushed in.

"Maybe later." Bobbie told her. Bobbie told Jax that Britni needed a bottle; he picked her up hoping to let Carly's injuries rest.

"Are you okay?" Jax asked.

"Yeah, do I see my baby brother out there?" Carly asked, hoping to shift his attention away from the worry he had painted on his face.

"I'll send him in." He said.

"Hey," Lucas approached her. "You look like hell."

Carly laughed. "I can always count on you to be honest with me. I'm so sorry I ruined your trip home."

"Don't even think about that. You're okay and that's all that matters."

"I'll second that." Bobbie added.

Carly felt weak and tired, but fought to keep herself engaged in conversation. Lucas told her about the current semester of graduate school. She smiled and nodded when appropriate, then saw as the crowd in the lobby grew.

"Hey sis, I don't want to monopolize your time, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"You better." She said, she reached to give her mother and brother a hug. Sonny and Michael stepped in next.

"Hey Mr. Man."

"Mom," he started to whine. "You know what, no. I don't even care. You can call me whatever you want. Just never do that to me again." He came over to hug her. Michael didn't want to admit how scared he was the entire way over.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you, too." He responded.

"You look good." Sonny said standing in the doorway.

"Lair." She fired back.

Sonny smiled, exposing his irresistible dimples. "There's our girl." He looked back to see Morgan getting off the elevator. He darted out of the room hoping to be the first one to tell him. Carly and Michael watched as Morgan's face lit up, he then bounced his way into her room.

"Can I hug you?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah." She said, and patted the spot on the bed next to her inviting Morgan to sit on.

"Be gentle." Sonny explained.

"Mom, I knew you wouldn't leave me." He said giving her a hug.

"Didn't I already make that promise?"

Morgan smiled.

Carly saw the look of concern on Michael's face. She turned to Morgan to ask a favor. "Morgan, sweetheart, do you know what would make this even better?"

"What?" Morgan asked, willing to do anything to help his mom.

"Would you be able to bring your sister in?" She figured Jax would be done with the feeding.

"I think I saw people heading to the waiting room." Michael added.

He gladly left, and Michael took his mothers' hand.

"Mom, I know how it feels to wake up from brain surgery. How are you really feeling?"

"You know what it feels like to wake up from brain surgery after being in a coma for a year. You were scared and confused, and your parent's were nowhere to be found." She said with a guilty conscience.

"I know now that it wasn't your fault."

"If you want complete honesty, I'm weak, I'm tired, everything from the waist up is throbbing, and the morphine isn't doing much but numbing it a bit."

Michael went to let go of his mother's hand; not wanting to hurt her anymore. She held on tighter.

"But I'm fine." She finally said. "My wounds will heal. I'm going to live a long life, and watch my children grow up, move out, get married, and have my grandchildren."

"What about the ZBT?" He asked.

"I'm on medication now to take care of it. Michael, I got what I wanted. You are awake and well, my beautiful baby girl, and the family I always dreamed of. Trust me; I am not going to let anything take that away from me."

Michael was convinced. Somehow his mom had always seemed to get her way; he knew he should have trusted that.

"There's my baby girl." Carly said as Morgan walked in cradling his sister. Michael took her for the seconds it took for Morgan to hop up on the bed next to his mom, and then set Britni back into Morgan's arms.

Jason walked to the window, after pacing the hallway for the past hour as people visited Carly, and looked in. The image was indescribable; he thanked the heavens for bringing her back again. He knew one thing was clear. That he was never, ever, going to let anything hurt her like that again.


	19. Chapter 19

As the hallway started to fill up by the nurse's station Monica requested that they move to the waiting room. Jax noticed Claudia enter the room but directed his focus on his daughter. He was ecstatic that Carly was awake, and he wasn't letting anything spoil that.

"How did it happen?" Lulu asked, sitting next to Jax.

"I don't know." Jax answered. "Jason was with her, you'd have to ask him."

"I'm not questioning it. I'm just thrilled she's okay." Lucky added. He had a tenuous relationship with his cousin when she arrived in Port Charles, but he grew to love and respect her.

"We all are." Lulu added. "I'm just shocked."

That tended to be the consensus, nobody was expecting a complete turn around as they drove to the hospital to say goodbye.

Alexis stood in the back throwing daggers with her eyes in Claudia's direction. She couldn't believe the audacity that woman had in being there after the role she played in putting Michael in a coma. Feeling the tension, Kristina said. "Mom, maybe we should go. It sounds like Carly is going to be okay, and I'm sure Jax can find another way home."

Alexis watched as Claudia left the room. "Give me a second." Alexis requested of her daughter.

"You have some nerve." She approached Claudia in the hall.

Claudia snickered. "And what did I allegedly do this time?"

"You know darn well what you did."

"I really don't have the patience for this, and my doctor told me to stay away from stress. If you don't mind, I'd like to use the rest room, and then stay with my husband until it's time to take his children home."

"You know, I might feel some sympathy for your situation." She said eying Claudia's stomach.

"If you didn't have the audacity to play step-mommy to those boys. That baby may play insurance

policy against Sonny, but it won't protect you against the law. I can make sure of that."

"Get away from her." Johnny defended her sister, catching only the tail end of Alexis' tirade.

"Gladly." Alexis said. She went back to the room to say goodbye to Jax, and then bring Kristina home.

"What was that all about?" Johnny asked, his sister looked nervous.

"I think she knows." Claudia said.

Johnny shook his head. "Great, just great. I knew that this was going to happen, and we can't fly you out now."

She thought about it, took a breath, and replied. "It doesn't matter. She doesn't have any evidence. She can't."

"Maybe none that will hold up in a court of law, but if she has enough to convince Jason Morgan then you're toast."

"No. Jason is too distracted right now, and Sonny won't harm the mother of his child. Beside's you heard her insinuate that she's coming at me through the court, and it that case all we need is reasonable doubt." She said confidently.

***********

"Michael, Morgan." Monica said entering the room. "I know you want to stay with your mom, but it's really late and Carly needs her rest."

Michael looked over to his mom. "It's okay, you can come back tomorrow. I'll be fine." She assured him. Without too much hesitation Michael picked up Britni, and Morgan followed him out.

"Get some rest." Monica advised, Carly had already lowered the bed, her eyes were drooping.

"Jason." She requested before falling asleep.

Monica found him outside her room and encouraged him to be with her. "She asked for you."

He smiled and went to be with her. "Goodnight." He said, and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and then he sat back in the chair. Monica's next stop was to the waiting room to encourage the family to go home and get some much needed sleep.

************

"Dad, are you mad at me?" Morgan asked looking at the damage done to his room.

"No, I've done worse." Sonny answered. "Besides, it's all replaceable. Your mom is not."

Sonny knew that part of Morgan's outburst was due to his belief that Claudia was meant to replace Carly. He never meant to insinuate that. Sonny knew what it was like to grow up with a wretched step parent, and where he would never let Claudia near them if he had the slightest inkling that she may abuse them, he did not want his children hurt by his need to punish himself.

"But she's okay, right?"

"Yeah." Sonny answered. "Absolutely, but it might help if you prayed extra hard for a speedy recovery."

Morgan lowered his head. "Dear Lord, I come to you tonight to offer my very own thanksgiving. Thank you for giving me and my family a miracle. I know that you need help in heaven to watch down over us, but right now I need my mom, so please heal her, and make her well. In Jesus' name. Amen."


	20. Chapter 20

"I heard you had quite the night." Patrick said as he approached Carly. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see your pupils."

"I wouldn't want to disrupt your win streak." Carly quipped.

Patrick grinned. "This has nothing to do with my reputation, but I do want to run some tests, just to make sure there aren't any unforeseen consequences."

"Like what?" Jason asked. He was afraid to think was could be wrong.

"I wouldn't worry about it, so far everything seems fine; motor, speech, and memory all seem to be functioning well."

"But?" Jason asked, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I just want to make sure there are no clots developing that we may have missed. I also want to recheck the hemoglobin levels in the brainstem to make sure enough blood is getting to that area."

Carly looked scared, Jason held her hand.

"Carly, this is all a precaution. You sitting here today is nothing short of a miracle, and I wouldn't have waited until this morning if I really thought you were going to relapse." Patrick assured them.

She nodded, wondering what the next step was. "Where do you want me?"

"Right there. I do not want you up and walking without medical assistance until I say so." He knew how restless her family could be.

"Not even to use the restroom?" Carly asked.

"Not even. Take it easy, and someone should be here within fifteen minutes to take you in for tests."

Besides not really having an appetite for breakfast and still feeling like she had been run over by a bus, Carly felt good upon waking. It helped to know Jason was sitting next to her. Her recollections of being in a coma were slim, but she remembered feeling attached to Jason in an unusual way and somehow that bond brought her back.

Jason woke up several times over the course of the night to check on her. He glanced at the monitor, and watched to see her chest rise and fall before he felt comfortable enough to close his eyes again. The ultimate solace came when she opened her eyes with the rising of the sun. A new day had started, and he planned to treasure that in her company.

***********

Lulu woke up at her brothers' house. After leaving the hospital they went back to the Brownstone to pick up a very sleepy Cam and Jake, and everybody crashed as soon as they got to the house. She unfortunately was unable to visit with her cousin due to the late hour, but was hoping to get up early enough to stop by before it got busy.

"Did you sleep in too?" Lucky asked as she came down the stairs.

"Yes. I guess I didn't realize how much I needed that." Lulu answered.

"Liz left me a note saying she took Cam and Jake to the park, they were going to bring breakfast on the way back." Lucky explained. He, too, had not realized just how disrupted his sleep had been over the course of the last two days. "Are you excited about your date tonight?"

Lulu flashed a grin. "I almost forgot about that."

"I really am happy for you. Matt seems like a decent guy." He admitted.

"What about you?" Lulu asked as she sat down on the couch next to Lucky. "Are you and Liz ever going to figure it out? Life is too precious to keep playing the on again and off again game."

"I'm beginning to understand that."  
"Beginning? You're slow." She teased. He threw a pillow at her and they both laughed.

"The sleeping dragon finally rises." Elizabeth said to the boys as they arrived home.

"Daddy!" They ran toward him.

"Good morning." He said greeting them with a big bear hug.

"Mommy is bringing us to the aquarium this afternoon, are you coming with?" Cam asked.

He looked over to Liz, who had not committed him either way. Deciding that he needed to make a commitment to his family, he agreed.

"Yes." He said. "I have a couple of errands to make after breakfast, but I will definitely be there this afternoon."

"Are you going to the hospital?" Lulu asked.

"In a bit, but first I need to stop by the station to finish up the paperwork that I was working on Tuesday." He left the station in a hurry and then had the weekend off for the holiday.

***********

When Jax arrived at the hospital Carly had already been brought in for tests. Bobbie agreed to bring Jax home and stayed over to help with Britni's first night home. She stayed with her granddaughter and promised to bring her by after her afternoon feeding. Jax found Jason sitting in her room.

"How is she doing?" Jax asked.

"She's fine. Dr. Drake wanted to do a thorough check up, but he is optimistic." Jason answered.

Jax gave a sigh of relief. Like everyone else, he went to bed hoping that he had not just imagined the most recent hospital visit. Part of him feared that it was too good to be true and she was not going to wake up the next morning. "That's great. Jason, I can't thank you enough for being here with her."

"I know you have your baby girl to look after." He said aware that he had the time and energy to focus his attention on Carly.

"I love my wife." Jax stressed.

Jason understood the meaning, but was not going to step away so willingly. "I don't doubt that."

"You kept the secret, too." Jax said. "For the same reason I did."

Jason knew the implication was that Carly was going to be just as furious at him when the truth finally did come out. This was going to be soon. Once Carly recovered Jason was going to find Jerry, bring him back, and get the truth about Claudia's involvement. Carly had to know before that happened, the question was whose secret it was to tell her.

***********

"Let's go!" Morgan said, dragging Sonny by the arm.

"Hang on. Let's eat breakfast first." Sonny urged.

"I want to see mom, and she said we could go back today." Morgan explained. As soon as he woke up he popped out of bed and got ready to leave.

"Jason just called." Michael said. "Mom is getting tests done right now. It is going to be at least another hour before we can see her."

"Oh." Morgan slouched onto the couch.

"We can have breakfast and then figure out what we want to get for her." Michael suggested. He felt for his little brother who had been worried about him and then his mom for way too long.

"Like what?" Morgan asked.

"We could get her a card, buy her flowers, get a teddy bear, or balloons."

"At this point she'd probably be most appreciative of frozen pizza and Doritos." Sonny joked.

"How about we do all of it!" Morgan suggested. Growing up with parents who tended to cater to his every whim helped facilitate the over indulging.

Michael smiled, instead suggested. "Let's make a card, and then pick out something special from the gift shop."

"That sounds nice." Claudia said entering the room.

Morgan nodded, attempting to be nicer to his step-mom. It didn't end up being horrible spending the day before with her, and he did like her brother. "Would you like to sign the card?" Morgan asked.

"I would, but I think your mom will appreciate it more if it came from her children."

"I think she's probably right." Sonny agreed, appreciating Claudia's delicacy.

"But the pancakes are done if you guys are ready." She announced.

"Careful." Sonny warned as the boys rushed the dinning room. "There are two growing boys here."


	21. Chapter 21

Mac re-watched the DVD several times. After Spinelli gave him the disc they got the phone call announcing the news that Carly had regained consciousness. This ignited a celebration which lasted late. He had forgotten about the evidence until he woke up. He played it repeatedly memorizing Jerry's words. Each time he played it he asked himself which was worse; Claudia's ordering in the hit that would up getting a child shot, Jerry's half-assed attempt to apologize for it, or the fact that he closed the investigation when Ian Devlin was killed. He finally decided that assessing the blame wasn't getting him anywhere, instead he was going to the PCPD to open the file and put a warrant out against Jerry Jax for his admitted role in the shooting of Michael Corinthos III. He arrived at the station greeted by the district attorney.

"Alexis, I was just about to call you. Can I see you in private?"

They stepped into Alexis' office. Mac used the DVD drive in her computer to show Alexis the message from Jerry Jax. She listened to his explanation, and remembered the run in she had with Jerry the night of the shooting. The rear-ending which kept him from stopping the attempted hit from happening.

"You don't look surprised." Mac observed as the disc ended.

"Off the record?" Alexis asked.

"Sure." He was curious to know how much she actually knew.

"I asked Sam to look into this. Spinelli is looking into Jerry's whereabouts right now. If we put an arrest warrant out for Jerry and somehow get him here I know I can get his to implicate Claudia."

"How do we get Jerry Jax here?" Mac asked.

"I go after him." Lucky said opening the door. He had finished his paperwork and was about to hand it in to Mac when he overheard the DVD.

"How much did you hear?" Alexis asked.

"Enough to know that Claudia Zacchara was responsible for putting my cousin in a coma, and one can suspect that disc is what caused Carly to collapse." Lucky was irate.

"Lucky, I get that this is personal for you, but we can only assume that wherever Jerry is hiding that it is outside our jurisdiction."

"Fuck jurisdiction." Lucky said, and he laid his badge and gun on Alexis' desk. He had plenty of personal time and vacation days accumulated. "Alexis, tell Sam to contact me when she finds that bastard."

************

'Get well, soon!' The card read. 'From Michael, Morgan, and Britni. We love you!' After finishing the card they went to the gift shop to buy a stuffed teddy bear. Sonny dropped them off at Carly's room before going with Claudia to her monthly check-up.

"I love it. Mr. Teddy Bear is going to sit here right next to me." She said placing the white fluffy stuffed animal to her left.

Jason smiled.

"Mom, when do you get to go home?" Morgan asked. She was just as anxious for that answer as he was.

"I don't know, hopefully my doctor will be here soon to let me know." Carly was concerned about the length of time it was taking to get the results back. She had already visited with Jax, Lulu, and Lucas.

"We don't want to rush it." Jason explained, hoping that the doctor's would err on the side of caution.

"Why, do they think you could relapse?" Michael asked, remembering all the excuses the doctors used to keep him in the hospital longer than he thought was necessary.

"No, not at all." Carly said. "I don't think it's going to be very long. Right now it's just a matter of healing, and I can do that just as easily at home."

"And we can take care of you." Morgan insisted.

Michael gave a half smile. He wasn't entirely certain where he was going to stay until his mother was completely healed, and able to handle a teenager with impulse control issues. Just then Patrick and Robin walked in. When Robin came with Carly was alerted to the fact that this probably wasn't going to be as easy as she had hoped.

"Hey boys. Do you think you could get me some Doritos from the vending machine?" She wasn't actually hungry, but needed an excuse to get them out of there. Michael picked up on her meaning.

"Sure." Michael agreed. "Can we get some change for the arcade too?"

Jason dug into his wallet and handed Michael a ten dollar bill, thinking it would probably hold them long enough.

"So?" Carly asked as soon as the door shut behind her children.

"I reviewed the results and was concerned that the swelling at the base of your brain hasn't gone down since the surgery." Patrick explained.

"Is that serious?" Carly asked. "I mean, it will heal, right?"

"If it doesn't go down soon there could be some serious side effects; dizziness, loss of balance, impaired vision, and potentially…"

"Death?" Carly finished the thought.

"Yeah, potentially." Patrick confirmed.

Carly rested her head back in her pillow. That explained why she had been experiencing a migraine like headache since waking up. She felt defeated, it seemed to be one thing right after another, but she knew she had to stay strong. "What do we do?"

"I checked the MRI following surgery and was unable to locate any potential areas where bleeding would have occurred, which is why I wanted to confer with Robin."

Carly wasn't thrilled with Robin as a person, but she was a brilliant doctor.

"Based on what I've seen I believe that the cause of the bleeding is a side effect from the blood thinner we have been using." Robin explained.

"So, we take her off." Jason responded; feeling just as frustrated as Carly looked to be.

"We have, but that's only a short term fix." Robin added. "There's still a lot about your condition that we don't know. I have made some calls to clinics that specialize in cases like yours and have arranged for you to complete a two week intensive drug therapy in that clinic you went to in South Carolina."

"Okay, yeah, whatever you think is best." Carly agreed, but feeling a bit overwhelmed. "When do I need to be there?"

"Monday." Robin responded.

"Monday?" Carly questioned.

"I want to keep you here through tomorrow. I'll let you go home to spend with your family on Sunday, as long as you promise to stay out of trouble, and then check in is noon on Monday." Patrick explained.

Carly nodded as she felt her frustration build. She stopped Patrick and Robin before they left. "Can you keep this between us?"

"If you wish." Patrick responded; respecting the rules of doctor-patient confidentiality. "But I strongly recommend you tell your family."

"I can't, I… I can't keep doing this to my boys."

"I understand that, but please consider telling Jax and your mother." Robin added.

"No, the more people that know gives my boys a greater opportunity to pick up on their fear." Carly explained. "They have been through enough."

"Okay." Patrick said. "I don't want you going through this alone."

"I won't." She said glancing over at Jason. He tried hiding his own fear.

As soon as the doctors left Jason questioned Carly's decision himself. "Your husband has a right to know." He argued; knowing full well that if it was Jax in the room he would want to be let in on her condition.

"I love Jax with my whole heart, and I trust him with my life, but he's the worse when it comes to protecting me. I know he means well, but within twenty minutes of finding out about my condition he was blabbing it to Sonny. I don't think Michael was out of his coma for five hours when he told him."

Jason took a moment to take everything in and really absorb what Carly was asking of him.

"Okay, but you are not going to this clinic alone, I'm going with you." He said as he brushed a pierce of hair out of her face.

She didn't argue; she needed her best friend at her side. "It's going to be fine. We're going to go to the clinic, I'll take whatever they ask me to, and it's going to be just fine." She said convincing herself.

"That's becoming your tagline." He teased.

"Look who I found?" Jax said coming in with Michael and Morgan.

"How did it go?" Michael asked cutting to the chase. Jax found the boys in the arcade, and they told him she was with the doctors. He wished he would have known so he could have been there for the results.

"Fine." Carly smiled at the inside joke. Jason shook his head. "Actually they are letting me out of here on Sunday."

"That's wonderful!" Morgan exclaimed.

"Really?" Jax questioned.

"Yeah, and you know what I was thinking? We can invite Grandma Bobbie, Uncle Lucas, Jason, Lulu, and the Quartermaine's over and have a thanksgiving dinner." She thought it would be a good way to celebrate the time she had before leaving.

"You wouldn't be cooking, right?" Asked Michael.

Carly laughed. "No, my butt is going to be parked on the sofa. I'm sure Edward would let me borrow Cooke for that."

Jason was sure of that; Edward would jump at a chance to spend that time with Michael, as would Monica.

Morgan was excited about the idea. "Can we invite Kristina and Molly?"

"Sure, as long as Alexis is okay with it."

"Are you home for good then?" Morgan asked.

"Almost." Carly confessed. "The doctors are being extra cautions and want me to see a specialist for my ZBT to make sure I'm on the perfect cocktail of medication. So I'm going to be going to South Carolina for a couple weeks starting Monday." She was hoping to give enough of the truth, but not so much that they would worry. It was clear that Jax still needed extra convincing.

"Can I have a moment with my wife?" He asked.

Jason lead Michael and Morgan out of the room, after Carly nodded to him that it was okay.

"Is she really okay?" She heard Michael ask.

"Absolutely." Jason lied.

"You're going to South Carolina for two weeks?" He asked.

"Yeah, Patrick wants to be absolutely certain that I'm getting the best care possible for the long term."

"I agree, if that's what he thinks is best, but I'm going with you."

"No you're not. Britni is going to need one of her parents here, and I would like things going back to normal for Michael and Morgan." Carly wasn't thrilled about her children staying under the same roof as Claudia when she was unconscious, but she did understand the boy's need to be with their father.

Jax understood her meaning. He didn't like Claudia playing mom to the boys either. "I don't want you alone." He argued.

"I won't be."

"Oh no, you're not going with Jason." Since her collapse he had noticed Jason's feeling for his wife become increasingly more evident. The more time he spent with her, the more cautious Jax was becoming.

"Why not?" Carly asked.

"Because I've seen the way he's been looking at you lately, and he's falling for you."

"That's ridiculous. He's my best friend; nothing more. Besides you're my life now." She insisted.

"I can see that you believe that, and trust me I know that if Sonny Corinthos walked through the door right now and begged you to get back together with him you would laugh in his face. But everybody knows that you've had this unrequited love for Jason for quite some time now, and if he…"

Carly interrupted. "It wouldn't matter. I love you, and with our little girl, we're bonded forever now."

"Okay." He conceded, but not fully convinced.

The stress of the morning was getting to her, and it was starting to hurt keeping her eyes open. Jax noticed the grimace of pain on her face. "Hey Carly, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to rest awhile." She said, hoping he wouldn't press too hard.

"Okay, I'll let the boys know, and will bring Britni by later. Carly, I love you."

"I love you, too." She sat up to give him a kiss.

"I'll be back." He promised.

"Jax, can you work on the invitations?" She asked. She was looking forward to having a good Thanksgiving, just in case things didn't go well in South Carolina. She wanted a positive memory of them as a family for her children to look back on.

As she closed her eyes she thought about her husband's observation of Jason. She hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary; Jason had always been there when she needed him. What if Jax was right? Would she abandon the life she had with Jax to open her heart up to her deepest fantasy? No, that was absurd. Jason loved her as a friend, and she was content with that.


	22. Chapter 22

Jason had brought the boys to the arcade, he sat on the benches watching and drinking a can of soda from the vending machine.

"How is she doing?" Jason asked as he saw Jax approaching.

"I should be asking you." He sneered, but responded. "She needed to rest."

"Good." Jason said trying not to be obvious. "I'm going to go home for awhile. Sonny should be here soon. Can you watch Morgan?"

"Sure." He responded. Michael was fully capable of taking care of himself, but had a tendency to wander off without notice. Jax was looking forward to bringing Morgan back home with him. "Jason, she asked me to work on the Thanksgiving invitations, do you think you could talk to Monica?"

Jason nodded, and then took off. When he arrived at the penthouse he found Spinelli hacking away on his lap top.

"What are you working on?" Jason asked.

Spinelli was thrilled that Jason was starting a conversation with him, but didn't want him knowing all the details of the case Sam was having him work on. Mainly, he didn't want Jason aware that Alexis was the one that requested the information in order to initiate lawful justice against the Vixenella.

"I am continuing the search of the secret layer of the Unhinged One. With the miraculous recovery of the Valkyrie, the Jackal thought it was safe to assume that the next step in bringing the young Corinthos' shooter to justice is back in effect."

"She's not entirely in the clear yet." He mumbled. "What have you found?"

Spinelli looked at Stone Cold in concern. "Is the Jackal to assume there is still a risk of the Valkyrie's untimely passing?"

Knowing that Spinelli would keep the secret if he asked him to Jason volunteered the truth. He explained the swelling of the brain due to internal bleeding, the side effects that could result, and the treatment that was being put in place. Jason also confided the fear he was experiencing hoping to let it out so that he could keep up pretenses in front of Carly and her family.

"The grasshopper expresses his deepest console. However, it sounds as if the Valkyrie is in the best of hands both personally and medically."

"I hope so." He sighed. "What were you able to find?"

"There was a rumor that the Unhinged One met to converse with his noble sibling shortly following his spouses misadventure."

"Where did you hear that?" Jason was never told of Jerry's actual appearance in Port Charles, only that he was the one responsible for Carly hearing details of Michael's shooting that nobody wanted her knowing yet.

"That is unimportant. The Jackal was able to locate surveillance detecting the vehicle he sublet in order to travel; thereby ascertaining the company said vehicle belonged too. Currently the Jackal is attempting to detect payment utilized for this transaction."

Unfortunately Jerry was usually pretty good about using cash, therefore trying to follow a bank trail tended to lead to a dead end. "Have you found out if it's been returned yet? Or where?" Jason asked trying to take it in another direction.

"The grasshopper bows to his master's ingenious. Let me check on that." He said hitting more keys.

"I'm going to take a nap." Jason informed him. "Let me know if you come across anything."

"I shall." Spinelli responded, but decided to go to the office to keep Sam informed on his progress. Jason had enough going on with his impending trip to South Carolina; hopefully McCall and Jackal PI could apprehend Jerry Jax before he came back.

************

Lucky attempted to visit Carly in the hospital, but she had already fallen asleep before he arrived. He looked in on her and the anger he felt when he heard the disc came rushing back. Fortunately the frustration and helplessness that he had been feeling finally found a home, and there was something he could do. He called Liz to confirm the time for the aquarium and went to the offices of McCall and Jackal PI.

"What brings you by?" Sam asked Lucky. Lucky was never thrilled with Sam's urge to become a private investigator while they were dating.

"I want to help." He cut to the chase.

"Help with what?" Sam asked.

"Help bring Jerry Jax back to Port Charles." He explained his run in with Alexis and Mac at the PCPD. "I know Spinelli is looking for him, and there's no way I'm going to let you go after him alone."

He still cared about Sam, and had the instinct to protect her. There break-up was a result of irreconcilable differences over the amount of risk she was willing to put herself through. He was dating her when she almost blew up in the ship that Jerry had rigged to explode, and the thought of that happening again scared him.

"So, you're volunteering yourself for my sake?" Sam asked. She wasn't convinced, especially since they barely talked following the split.

"No, I want to make sure that the person responsible for putting my cousin in a coma is punished. Keeping you safe is added incentive."

Spinelli came into the office and almost barreled through Lucky in attempt to set his lap top on the desk before recanting his conversation with Jason to Sam. Before he started he made sure that it was a conversation that could be had in front of Lucky, Sam nodded her approval.

"Did you find out where the car was returned?" Sam asked.

"I did find out that the Unhinged One did not return the vehicle on the marked day of restitution, thereby causing the law abiding ones to deem the sedan stolen, the last known destination was…" Spinelli hit a few more keys. "Jacksonville, Florida."

"What is he doing in Florida?" Sam asked.

"Corinthos has associates in Florida." Lucky said, having become familiar with the mob file in the PCPD. "Do we feel comfortable guessing that Jerry still has affiliations with the mob?"

"That's not much of a leap." Sam added.

"We need to know where?" Lucky looked to Spinelli, who backed away at the request.

"In order to keep the Jackal free from harm Stone Cold has withheld most locations of mob commune."

"Most?" Lucky asked. "Do you know of any in that region?"

Spinelli thought back to conversations between Stone Cold and the Mister Sir. "I have heard mention of a casino in Miami." Spinelli confessed.

"Okay, we start there." Sam decided.

"We?" Lucky questioned, never actually getting Sam's agreement to his participation.

"Yes, we." She smirked. "How soon can you leave?"

"Tonight. I promised the afternoon to the boy's." Lucky replied.

As Lucky left to meet at the aquarium Sam pressed Spinelli for more details on the casino. She had him book tickets and reserve the hotel. She started working on the cover story. Before he left Lucky agreed to be at the airport at 9pm sharp.

************

The appointment went well. Claudia and Sonny listened to the babies heart beat. Dr. Lee was sure that as long as everything went smoothly Claudia would be going into labor around Christmas time. She was to take it easy, and avoid too much emotional upheaval. Sonny wanted to check on Carly before he left, and asked Claudia to meet the boys at the arcade.

"You're not taking Morgan anywhere." Jax informed her as she approached.

"Sonny is his father; it's his decision where Morgan stays." She retorted.

"Like hell it is." Jax fired back.

"What's going on?" Sonny asked, he passed Carly's room but didn't want to wake her.

"Jax seems to think that I'm not good enough to look after your son." Claudia explained.

"Carly will be home Sunday, but has asked that the boys go back to their daily routine." Jax explained calmly.

Sonny looked to Claudia. "That's not what he said."

Jax knew that he had gone off a bit when he saw Claudia. It hit a nerve anytime she went anywhere near Carly's children, especially as he replayed the argument in his mind that lead to Carly's collapse. He had wanted to protect Michael and Morgan since he heard about Claudia's involvement, and luckily Morgan despised her almost as much as his mother did, but he didn't know how to keep Michael away without compromising his wife. He knew that if he was going to make it up to her he had to act now.

"I may have been harsher, but you know as much as I do that Carly wouldn't want the boys anywhere near Claudia alone." Jax explained.

"She's not alone." Sonny added, but understood Jax' hesitation.

"Hi dad, how was the check-up?" Michael asked approaching the adults.

"It went fine. Are you ready to go home?" Sonny was fine with Jax taking Morgan, but was leaving Michael's decision up to him.  
"Um… actually. I hope you don't mind, but I made arrangements with some friends at school to go to a movie." Now that he was sure his mom was going to be okay he decided to go back to what he was doing before.

"It's not that Johnson girl is it?" Claudia asked. Both Jax and Sonny looked to Claudia for an explanation. She had run into Michael and this girl at Kelly's.

"Alyssa is going, as well as Trish and Kevin. Oh, and I invited Kristina and her friend Amber." He said emphasizing the point that it was a group outing.

"What are you going to see?" Claudia asked. She had found out that she actually had a lot in common with her step-child.

"'New Moon.'" Michael responded. "It looks lame but the girls really want to see it, something about a vampire and werewolf."

Sonny snickered, knowing the sacrifices that had to be made to make the girl happy.

"Are you going the Quartermaine's afterwards?" Sonny asked.

"Most of my stuff is there." He answered hoping to avoid the argument between him living with his mom or dad.

"Okay, Morgan is going with Jax. I guess that means we can go." Sonny told Claudia. Claudia hated the way Carly tore her children out of Sonny's life. She vowed not to do that with their child.

"Who is this girl?" Jax asked Michael after Sonny left, Morgan was on his last token in the arcade.

Michael looked down sheepishly, and his cheeks reddened. "She's just some girl in my English lit class." He answered.

"Tall and blonde with dazzling blue eyes?" Jax asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"She's coming this way." Jax pointed out.

Michael wasn't expecting her for another fifteen minutes.

"Michael I'm so glad you called. I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Oh, hi, I'm Alyssa Johnson." She introduced herself.

"Jasper Jax." He said extending out his hand.

"This is my step father." Michael added and then prompted her towards the exit. "Jax, can you tell mom I'll be by later?"

"Sure thing." He smiled. "Hey Morgan, let's get some lunch."


	23. Chapter 23

Carly combed through her damp hair with the towel wrapped around her. She was pleased to see that there was a chair placed in the shower, where she sat as she gently sponged herself down careful to not get any of the bandages wet. As she was waking up her hand brushed against the rats nest on top of her head, and she decided that she really needed to freshen up. She brushed her teeth; then she made her way to the door. The door opened quickly and she felt herself slip forward. Hands forcefully grabbed her as she lost her footing, and Jason scooped her into his arms. For a moment their blues eyes gazed back at each other until he laid her back in the bed.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I swear Patrick said you weren't supposed to get up without medical assistance." Jason commented.

"I was restless." Carly responded. "It's not like you haven't done the same thing."

Jason shook his head.

"You don't understand. I felt disgusting, and I swear I was careful." She said trying to appease him.

"Until the part where you almost fell face forward."

"The door swung open and I was using it to prop myself up." She tried explaining.

"Carly stop." He looked annoyed. "If I'm going to keep this secret for you, you have got to listen to the doctors."

"I'm sorry." She apologized seeing the heartache he was expressing.

He softened. "I understand your need to protect you children, but they weren't the only ones terrified of losing you."

"I know."

"No, you don't. I don't think you really do understand just how close you were, and just how devastated your family was."

"Including you?" She asked.

"Especially me." He said with tears in his eyes.

Just then the door opened. Carly threw the covers over her to hide the towel.

"Did I interrupt something?" Bobbie asked.

"No." Carly answered. "Did you happen to bring the clothes I asked for?"

Bobbie set the suitcase she brought at the end of the bed. "I'll give you a moment."

Jason handed her an outfit and turned away. She was able to slip on the slacks and the undergarments without a problem, but struggled with reaching her hands up enough to get her shirt on.

"Jase?" She asked. "A little help?"

When he turned back she was wearing her bra, his focus was caught by the black bruise on her sternum where Monica had thrust the life back into her.

"Jason." She said again. He gently fed her arms through the holes and lifted the shirt over her head. "Thank you."

"Don't do that again." He said, not only referring to the bathroom but for almost leaving him.

This time Bobbie decided to knock.

"Come in, mom." Carly shouted. Bobbie stepped in followed by Jax and Britni.

"You're looking better." Jax observed. It was nice being out of the hospital gown.

"Yeah, well, next time she tries to take a shower without a nurse present, stop her." Jason tattled, and she glared at him.

"Carly!" She mom scolded her.

"I get it." Carly said, trying to keep from listening to another lecture.

"Are you sure you do?" Jax said pretty much repeating Jason's previous concern.

"Yes." She answered. "Now can I please hold my baby?"

"I don't know." Jax teased. "It sounds like you've been a bad girl."

Carly looked offended. "I'm not twelve. Hand me Britni or I am going to get out of this bed."

"Okay, okay." Jax backed down. "But seriously, we are counting on you to take care of yourself."

Carly's attention was directed towards her daughter as soon as Jax laid her in her arms. She hated the fact that she missed the first days of her daughter's life, and now she was going to be gone for another couple of weeks. She gazed at Britni, wanting to take in every detail to store it in her memory and hang on to when she was away. 'It's for a good cause.' She thought. She knew that when she came back everything was going to be okay, and she would get the chance to raise her baby.

"Where's Morgan?" Carly asked.

"Morgan is with Mercedes at the house, and Michael is out on a date." Jax answered, spoiling Michael's secret.

"Oh really?!" Carly responded. Both Jason and Bobbie looked stunned as well.

"Technically it is a group thing, but this isn't the first time he's been out with this girl, and I saw the stars in his eyes. She's cute; actually she reminds me a lot of you." Jax told his wife. Besides some obvious physical features she seemed to have the same forwardness and spunk that Carly had.

"That's trouble." Quipped Jason.

"Hey! Where did they go?" Carly asked happy that the conversation had diverted away from her.

"To see a movie. Moon something, Full Moon, or Blue Moon…"

"New Moon?" Carly asked. As she was taking it easy for the sake of her pregnancy she was able to get some pleasure reading in. "Is that out already? I really want to go see it. Could you take me?"

Jax thought back to Michaels' reaction. "You know. I have a thanksgiving to plan right now, and then you're going to be leaving."

"Nice. I get the point. I'll see if Lulu will go with me, or maybe Lucas might like that one." Carly responded. "But since you're here mom, would you be interested in coming over on Sunday?"

She explained her idea of inviting people over to celebrate a late Thanksgiving. Bobbie was planning on staying over at the house for awhile to help Jax take care of Britni while Carly was away. She liked the idea of a family get together, but only under the stipulation that Carly was to remain sedentary.

************

Lulu and Maxie were at the apartment getting Lulu ready for the evening. They pulled her hair back and Lulu applied her make-up while Maxie searched for the perfect outfit.

"What do you mean you don't know where you are going?" Maxie asked.

"I mean, he said dress nicely and meet him at the hospital." Lulu explained which she thought was perfect because she could drop in and see Carly before she left.

"Okay, but nice isn't helping." Maxie ranted. "Is it dinner at the Metro Court nice? Or taking in a show in Manhattan nice? You know, cocktail dress or runway gown, I need to know what I am working with."

"You're working with my closet. There isn't that much to chose from." Lulu explained.

"We're just going to have to settle for this one." Maxie said holding up a black Armani.

"Wow, that's exquisite, but it's not mine."

"No, but being Jr. Editor has its advantages." Maxie replied.

"Thank you." Lulu went to try it on, and it fit perfectly. She had to hand it to Maxie; she was an expert in clothing. She checked herself out in the full length mirror she had attached to her bedroom door. Only one thing was missing. She opened her jewelry box and found the chandelier earrings that her mom had sent her from Paris for her birthday. Lulu stepped out of her room. "What do you think?"

"I think Dr. Matt Hunter isn't going to know what hit him." Maxie replied and handed her a pair of heels and a matching handbag. Lulu grabbed the coat Maxie had lent her from the closet and shuffled her cell phone, wallet, and keys into the new purse.

"Wish me luck." Lulu said as she left.

"You're not going to need it, but have fun." Maxie said sincerely.

On her drive to the hospital she thought about her prior relationship with Johnny and everything that went wrong. The idea of opening her heart up again was scary, but she was ready to experience the joys of dating. She was looking forward to love and be loved again.

"I love you too, but you didn't have to dress up for me." Carly teased.

Lulu smiled. It was good having her cousin back. "Actually…"

"I heard, mom told me that you had a date with Matt."

"I should have known. Spencer women have big mouths, don't they?"

"I think it's great. As long as you're happy about it." Carly hoped that this was a sign that Lulu was ready to move on.

"I'm thrilled. He's great. I didn't expect it, but I feel like I can be myself around him. Neither one of us are trying to change ourselves or the other person." This was a factor in each of Lulu's previous relationships.

"I thought I'd find you here." Matt said entering in a navy blue suit. "You look amazing."

"Thank you." Lulu replied. "You clean up well yourself, but I thought we were meeting downstairs in fifteen minutes."

Matt had gotten done with his charts a little early and rushed to shower and change in the locker room to avoid being late. "I didn't mean to disrupt."

"No, by all means. Besides this gives me the chance to threaten bodily harm if you hurt her." Carly responded.

Matt looked to Lulu. "She's kidding, right?"

Lulu shook her head, as did Carly. "Nope, in your case I'd probably start with the fingers." Carly teased.

"I'm so glad we saved your life, then." He joked back.

Lulu went over to greet him with a kiss on the cheek. "Are you ready?" She whispered.

"Yeah." He said heading toward the door. "Take care, Carly."

"I'll see you Sunday." Lulu told her cousin, confirming the Thanksgiving plans.

They made their way to the elevator. "She looks to be doing better, and you look happier."

"Those two events aren't mutually exclusive." She admitted. "I have been looking forward to tonight."

"I would have understood if you were to have cancelled."

She didn't want to think about where she would be is the previous night had ended differently. "I didn't have a reason to. Besides, I really did appreciate when you were there for me."

"I'm slowly learning what it means to be a part of a family. Yours is fantastic in the way that they band together." Growing up all Matt really had was his mother. It wasn't until getting a job at General Hospital that he got to know his father and brother. He still wasn't on the best of terms with his father.

"Where are we going?" Lulu asked.

"Right now? To the docks." They walked to the harbor. Lulu found that the coat she borrowed appeared to be the kind that was meant for design and not actually function. Matt noticed her teeth chattering and he wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe in his embrace. "You really do look beautiful."

She turned to face him, and placed her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

There eyes met. She thought they were going to kiss when Matt pointed out the cruise ship approaching. He gestured for her to go first.

"This is unbelievable." She said. As they stepped aboard they walked into a room encased in windows with hor'dourves and a bar. Tables with couples circled the lower level, and the benches looked out to the harbor.

"Would you like something to drink?" He offered.

"Yeah, whatever you are having." She sat down on one of the benches and looked out to the New York Coastline. The sun was setting and the sky was decorated in pink and purple. Matt came back with a drink and draped his arm over her shoulder as they looked out to the city lights. She'd probably seen the coast a million times, but never quite like that.


	24. Chapter 24

The trip to the aquarium went well. Cameron was enamored by the sharks and sting rays. Jake kept trying to stick his hands into any open lid tank. After the aquarium Lucky went home to pack and then swung by the hospital to try again before he met up with Sam at the airport.

"Hey cus." Carly was awake, and flipping through the channels on the television.

"Hi, I tried coming earlier but you were sleeping." Lucky explained.

"Yeah, I got the flowers, thank you."

"No problem. I wanted to see you before you left for South Carolina." Bobbie had called him earlier with an update.

"So does that mean you're not coming on Sunday?" She asked.

"I'm sorry; I'm going out of town myself for a bit." He sat down next to her and started explaining more, but Carly stopped him.

"You don't need to sell me on a cover story." Carly knew anything he was about to tell her was a lie, and he didn't owe her the truth. She knew her family enough that when they lied it was generally to protect someone else. "Just stay safe."

"I will, but you have to do the same." He advised.

"What do you mean?"

"I know that Aunt Bobbie, Lulu, and even Lucas want to believe you're okay enough to buy anything, but I'm not naïve enough to think the doctors here would send a new mother barely out of recovery to a two week treatment facility as a cautionary tactic." He explained.

Carly took a moment to respond. "Please don't tell anybody." She begged.

"I won't, but how bad is it?" He asked holding her hand.

"There's some internal bleeding in the base of my brain. It's not heavy, but if they don't find a way to stop it, it could be fatal."

Lucky wasn't ready to hear that. "Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head no. "Besides not telling anybody, no. I'm serious, don't say anything, and don't show fear or anger. I don't want anybody knowing."

"Okay, I promise, but you have to do your part then."

"I will." Carly swore, and somehow Lucky believed her. He got up to leave, but gave her a hug first. "Lucky, stay safe."

"I will."

He arrived at the airport terminal with less than two minutes to spare. Sam was waiting for him at the gate. On the way there he thought about the strategy once they arrived to find a detain Jerry. Since he had left his badge at the department he felt the best plan was to armor themselves at a local pawn shop once they arrived.

"What do we have?" Lucky asked.

"I talked to Bernie to get some more information." Bernie was the accountant for Corinthos-Morgan enterprises. He also happened to have a detective's license and was the one that McCall and Jackal PI used to legitimize their business.

"You talked to Bernie?" Lucky questioned wanting the specifics of their trip kept far away from Sonny and Jason.

"I only told him that there was a case I was working on in a casino in Miami. He gave me a few names of people to look out for and hotels that are mob owned in the area."

Sam gave him his undercover alias; they were going to by newlyweds in the honeymoon suite in the hotel closest to the casino. San was planning on working some tables while she kept her eyes and ears open for mention of Jerry. Spinelli was going to continue to try and track Jerry from home, but the chances were that he was going to be able to ditch the rental car before he arrived in Miami.

***********

When Lucky left, Carly took the moment to herself to think about what she was feeling. She had spent most of the day trying to convince everyone around her that she was fine. Her room looked like a funeral home with flower arrangements scattered about. Everyone that visited her walked in with a piece of the fear that they experienced when they were told she was dying. She hoped that she had done her job, that her children, mother, husband, family and friends could take solace in knowing that she was a survivor. She shut her eyes, and felt the throbbing subside as she drifted off.

After the movie ended Michael went out to eat with his friends. He was munching on French fries when he noticed the time and asked Alyssa for a ride back. He rushed to her room trying to make it before the normal visiting hours ended. Michael approached the door and slowly stepped in.

"Mom." He whispered. Her eyelids were pressed shut. He tried a little louder. "Mom?"

Flashing back to when he found her passed out on the couch, Michael panicked and ran out the door. He crashed into the first person he came in contact with.

"Whoa." Jason backed up. "Michael, are you okay?"

"She's…"

"Sleeping." Jason finished. "She's fine, Michael. I promise."

Jason pointed out a bench for them to sit down on. Michael took a moment to calm himself down. "Jason, what happened?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"She's been fine the last couple of months. She was happy, and calm, and mom being calm is really saying something. The baby was doing great, and I was coming over about once a week for family dinners. I don't understand what caused her blood pressure to spike?"

"I don't know what to tell you." Jason answered.

"The truth, please?" Michael had noticed dissention between Jason and Jax during his mother's crisis. He knew there was something that the adults were not telling him.

Jason thought about it. When Michael woke up from the coma he had a lot of questions. Nobody really knew what questions to answer and how much information to give. Maybe it was time.

"You know about the condition, right?"

"Only that it increases the likelihood of her having a blood clot, and keeping her blood pressure down helped reduce the odds of a stroke occurring."

"Right, she was initially told that she had a 50% chance of developing a clot. Keeping her blood pressure down could help, but the risk was still there. The blood clot had been forming for a couple weeks before she collapsed. Dr. Drake is certain that she would have been experiencing symptoms."

"She just didn't want anybody knowing it." Michael cut in.

"I assume that she thought it was going to be okay until the scheduled c-section."

"And then she'd be put on medication to control the condition." Michael understood her train of thought, he didn't like it, but he could see her thinking that way. "But something caused the spike."

"Or someone." Jason responded. "Michael, if I tell you the truth you have to promise me that you're not going to blame yourself."

"What?" Michael looked confused. "I promise."

"Dr. Ian Devlin was the person that shot you. He was hired by someone to kill your father."

That much he knew; he listened on wondering how it related to his mother's stroke.

"I know he was working with Jerry Jax. Spinelli found a bank account that linked the two, and according to Ric Lansing, the person that hired the hit was Claudia."

"What?!" Michael reacted. "What does Ric Lansing know? He the sicko that kidnapped mom when she was pregnant with Morgan."

"I know, trust me, I know. I thought that he may have had something to do with it, but the more I found out the less I trusted that instinct. What he did tell me was that there was a series of DVDs produced by Jerry Jax hidden around your father's house all implicating Claudia. Claudia was supposed to find them and they supposedly gave clues to the location of the next disc. It was some sick game to see if she could find them before Sonny. Apparently Ric found one, and Jax was sent a disc. I'm not sure if anyone else came into contact with any. Ric attempted to show me and Sonny, but the disc was blank, his excuse was that Jerry erased them all."

"So there's no proof that Claudia did it." Michael surmised. He liked his step mom. They had a lot in common, and she was one person that he could go to just to talk without expectations. He couldn't imagine that she could do anything to hurt him.

"No, no physical proof."

"But you still think she did? What does this have to do with mom?"

"Jerry came back the night of your mom's stroke. Apparently he told her about his involvement. When Jax came home she confronted him about it, and he admitted that he knew." As Jason explained he knew there were holes.

"Is that what Jax told you? He was there right before she lost consciousness, and then left?" Michael figured out noticing he wasn't convinced.

Jason nodded. "I do believe that she was angry, and that she told him to leave. I know your mom pretty well, and I've seen what she can and cannot handle. What she can't handle is anything threatening you or your siblings."

"Meaning?"

"I think the DVD that Jerry sent Jax implicated Claudia. He knew, and because he didn't want to stress your mom out during her pregnancy he kept that from her. I don't think that Jerry would go to Carly and tell her that he did it, but he may go to her and tell her Claudia did."

The pieces started fitting together for Michael. "And mom got pissed because Jax knew that my step-mom hired the person that shot me and let me in my father's house under the same roof as her."

"Yeah, but your mom doesn't remember anything leading up to her collapse, and I don't want to push her." Jason told him. "So right now, that's all speculation."

Michael wasn't sure how to feel. He knew the nature of his dad's business, and that enemies order hits. Luckily neither his father nor Jason had been killed. At the time of his shooting the Zacchara's were his father's enemies, should he hold this against Claudia? The person that was now carrying his sibling? Michael tried not to blame himself. If he hadn't been there, if he was never shot… Jason noticed the guilt on Michael's face.

"None of this is your fault." Jason commented.

"I'm going to say goodnight to mom." Michael responded. He went back into her room to give her a kiss on the forehead. As he stood over her, she woke up groggy.

"Michael?"

"Yeah it's me. I just came to say good night."

"Good night sweetheart." She said before falling back asleep.

"I love you, mom." He said, and shut the door behind him.


	25. Chapter 25

"Are you alright, son?" Edward asked Michael. Michael stared at his breakfast shuffling it around his plate. He couldn't help but thinking about the conversation the night before. He needed the truth.

"Yeah, I'm just not hungry." He answered.

Edward looked on in concern. "According to Monica your mother is doing well, and we're both thrilled about the generous invitation from Carly and Jax for thanksgiving."

Patrick had shown Monica the test results, and then explained Carly's request to keep them private to avoid worrying her children any further. As a mother, Monica understood her impulse and agreed to keep her mouth shut.

"I know she is. I'm just going to go out for a bit." Michael explained. He didn't want to confront Claudia directly about the botched hit, due to her unborn baby; but decided to go to the garage instead. Michael walked in on Olivia in Johnny's embrace.

"Michael?" Johnny said startled.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Michael replied.

"No, that's fine. I'm needed at work anyhow." Olivia excused herself.

"So?" Johnny asked. "Is everything okay with your mom?"

"Yeah." Michael answered. As he stood directly in front of Johnny everything that he rehearsed himself saying in the car flew out the window.

"What can I help you with? Is your car running okay?"

"Yeah." He repeated. He could sense Johnny starting to get irritated. "How well do you know Jerry Jax?"

Johnny took a breath and realized what Michael was asking. "Personally? Not well. I'm assuming that's not actually what you want to know."

"My mom had a stroke because Jerry Jax told her something. I was wondering if you or your sister knew what that something was."

Johnny shook his head. He wondered when the secret was going to come crashing down on them. "Michael, you wouldn't be standing here if you didn't know. I do appreciate that you came to me and not Claudia."

"So, it's true?" Michael asked. His rage was boiling.

Johnny nodded. Michael threw his fist out connecting with Johnny's jaw, and he went stumbling back. He held his jaw and responded. "I deserved that."

Michael was still pissed. He thought back to every conversation he had with Claudia since he woke up. He remembered the horrid way he treated his mother, and holding it against her when she convinced dad to make him move out of the house. Johnny could see that Michael was struggling with how to feel.

"She never meant to hurt you, Michael. She wouldn't put an innocent child in the line of fire if she could have helped it."

Michael went to swing again, only Johnny saw it coming and used his forearm to parry the attack. "So, why lie? Why marry my father and get pregnant with his child?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing." Johnny admitted. "Claudia put a hit out on your father because when you disappeared he blamed us. He took me, locked me up in a padded room, and beat me."

Michael wanted to shut Johnny's voice out. He knew the fear that the Corinthos name instilled, but right now he couldn't handle hearing why.

"Ian Devlin messed up. He should have never taken that shot. Claudia and I have regretted that night ever since and there is nothing I can say to make it up to you."

Michael simmered down. He stopped to think about how everything had blown up. Starting with him purchasing a gun and accidently shooting his fathers girlfriend, and then running away. He thought about how every misdirection catalyzed another chain of events, each more severe than the previous. "I want it to stop." Michael finally said.

"What?" Johnny asked.

"This. Me. The shooting. I don't want anybody else hurt. God, my mom could have died!"

"I don't either, but Jerry seems to pop up and create trouble as soon as everything looks to be settled, and it's only a matter of time before your father finds out."

'And he'll kill Claudia.' Michael thought. "What if I am the one to tell him? What if I beg him to let it be? Claudia isn't a threat anymore, I mean, she doesn't want him dead."

"No, she loves their child, and wants to give it a good life." Johnny explained, but he couldn't see Sonny backing down, and if Sonny killed Claudia he wouldn't be able to let it go. The cycle would continue. Maybe Michael was right, nobody besides Devlin had died yet, if there was a chance to stop it, it was now.

***********

"Good morning." Monica greeted Carly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Carly responded hoping that she might be able to talk herself out of there a day early.

"Okay, well let me check a few things." Monica had Carly sit forward to place the stethoscope on her back and listen to her breathing. "How does this feel?"

Monica gently pressed against the nape of Carly's neck where the bandage covered. She gasped and her eyes tightened.

"Lay back." Monica instructed. "Carly, I'm counting on you to be honest to the doctors. We're here to help."

Carly understood the hidden meaning and appreciated Monica's discretion. "I'm still really sore. I don't know how much the morphine is helping."

"The swelling is still pretty severe. How about your torso and lower abdomen?"

"Movement is getting easier. I was able to dress myself this morning, but walking is impaired."

"It's going to take time." Monica understood what it was like to be a patient, and the urgency to go home and be with her family. "But I promise you get to go home tomorrow, and Edward and I look forward to coming."

"Monica, you know…" She tried explaining her cover.

"I know. I won't say anything." She confirmed.

"Anything about what?" Jax asked as he came in with Britni.

"Anything about the Christmas present that I planned for Michael." Carly quickly came up with. "The Quartermaine's have a ski lodge in Vermont, and I was asking her if it might be okay if Michael and some friends went up there for the New Year."

"I think that's a great idea." Jax said handing Britni to her mother. "But you should tell him soon, before his friends already have plans."

"She was going to mention it tomorrow." Monica covered. "First I have to talk it over with Edward, but I don't see a problem."

"Thanks Monica." Carly said before she left.

"How are you doing today?" Jax asked, greeting her with a kiss.

"Good, I can't wait to get out of here."

"Just follow the doctor's instructions. They know what they are talking about."

"How's Morgan doing?" Carly changed the subjects.

"He's fine. I brought him to Karate before stopping by. Carly, are you okay?" He sensed something was wrong. "You look like you're in pain."

"Oh, it's just a little headache."

"Are you sure? Maybe they are rushing the release."

Carly snickered. "You just said that they know what they are talking about."

"You're right. Maybe I should leave Britni with you for a bit. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I little bit. I could use a latte." Her eyes perked up.

"All right. Take it easy. I'll be right back."

Carly cradled her daughter in her arms. "It's okay sweetie. Mommy is going to be fine. You just need to stay strong, and don't get into too much trouble for daddy. And never, ever, forget that mommy loves you." Carly followed Britni's example closed her eyes and rested.

************

They had arrived at the hotel late, Lucky was the first to stir. As he reacquainted himself with where he was and why he noticed Sam curled up next to him. He couldn't help but enjoy the familiarity in it. He started to move; Sam squirmed and her arm draped over his chest. Lucky laid back and let it be. There were worse places in the world to be then in a honeymoon suite curled up to a gorgeous woman. As Sam presented signs of life Lucky ducked out of bed.

"Joel and Sarah Mitchell? Is that the best you could come up with?" Lucky teased as he came out of the shower.

"I was on a time crunch. Besides, you kind of look like a Joel." Sam responded.

"Really? I always thought I looked more like a Greg."

"Huh? You do kind of. Next time help with the arrangements and you can come up with the aliases."

"Next time? Let's see how this goes first. What is the plan for the day?" Lucky asked.

Sam couldn't help but be distracted as Lucky stood before her with water beading on his chest, wearing nothing but a towel on the lower half. "Well, I thought we'd start by you ordering some room service, and then we can take a drive around town and familiarize ourselves with the people and businesses we're dealing with. This evening we can check out the casino."

Lucky thought to ask what the plan was us they were to see Jerry, but figured that was going to be mostly ad lib anyway.

"While I'm ordering breakfast what will you be doing?"

"Showering." She said slipping off her nighty, and wrapped a fresh towel around her.

"Right." He said feeling himself perk up, and then picked up the phone.


	26. Chapter 26

"How is she doing?" Jason asked Jax in the hallway outside of Carly's room.

"She says she's fine, but I think yesterday was a bit much for her." Jax confessed. "I'm not sure how I feel about her being released tomorrow."

Jason understood his concern, but he also knew how much she needed that time at home. "She would never ask, but I think the best thing for her today is to limit the number of visitors."

"I agree, besides, the family has all day with her tomorrow." Jax had more he wanted to discuss with Jason, but he wasn't sure how he wanted to go about confronting him about his feelings for his wife. "Jason, when Carly is feeling better I want to be the one to tell her about Jerry."

"I'm not going to say anything in South Carolina if that is what you are implying." Jason replied.

"It's no secret that you don't particularly like me." Jax insisted.

"I want her to be happy, and if you can do that then I have no problem with you."

"You still blame me for this." Jax pressed.

Jason looked inside the window and saw Britni curled up in her mother's arms. "This isn't the time or place."

"I am trusting my wife to be alone for two weeks with you."

Jason was irked by the Jax' use of the phrase 'my wife.' He understood Jax' reasoning for not wanting Carly to know about the DVD when they found out about her condition. If Jason was right, and Claudia was implicated, then Jax should have told somebody to keep Michael and Morgan away from her. Even after the stroke he refused to let on about that detail. "I trusted you to keep Carly and her boy's safe."

************

"There it goes again." Claudia said. Sonny sat on the couch trying to feel the baby kick. Each time he lifted his hand she started again.

"I swear this thing hates me." Sonny commented.

"This thing? That's your problem right there. She will love you as soon as you start doting on her." Claudia responded.

Sonny was doing what he could to make Claudia feel at home at his place. It wasn't fair the way he had been treating her. Whether they planned it or not she was carrying his child, and he was going to love her just as much as any of his children. Sonny thought back to after his first wife, Lily, died. She was pregnant with his child. After Carly miscarried their first child he was sure that it was his curse to never bare an heir. Since then there was Kristina and Morgan, and now another baby girl.

"I let you have anything you wanted for the nursery."

"And it turned out fantastic." The nursery was the only room in the house left untouched by his ex-wife. Claudia wanted to make it as bright as she could. She had it painted in a pale yellow with white and spring green furnishings. When Claudia was left alone she liked sitting in the old rocking chair that she had brought out of storage imagining her self holding and feeding her daughter.

"What should we name her?" Sonny asked hoping it would prevent him from referring to her as it.

"Really?" Claudia responded thrilled with the idea that he wanted to help. "I was thinking maybe something Italian like Sicily or Venetia."

"You mean you don't have a name picked out already?" Sonny asked surprised that it hadn't been picked out when she was a five-year-old girl playing house with her dolls.

"I hadn't really thought about it before." Claudia admitted. Before her need to get pregnant to save her life she had never thought she would be a mother. She knew the life that she and John had grown up to, and never wanted to bring a child into that environment. "Unless you would like it named after your mother or sister?"

Claudia was only vaguely familiar with the memory of Adela and Courtney. Sonny pushed it aside, perhaps a middle name.

"What about Dominica or Maria?" Sonny suggested after hers or Johnny's mothers. They decided against naming her after someone.

"Don't they have books of names?" Claudia asked. "I can go out a grab one and we can come back to this tonight after dinner, I'm graving chicken parmesan, by the way."

Sonny smiled. He could manage that. "If you're in a rush to go, I can get Max to take us out. I was hoping to stop by the hospital."

Sonny instructed Max to get the limo ready. As they grabbed their coats and heading out the door Claudia ran into Johnny who looked concerned.

"Go ahead." Claudia insisted. "I'll catch up with you tonight."

Sonny left and Johnny followed hid sister into the living room.

"Family outing planned?" Johnny observed. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"What are you doing here?" Claudia asked.

"How many people have to know about something before it's no longer a secret?" Johnny asked.

She gathered that someone else knew about the hit on Sonny. At this point the tally was herself, John, Jerry, Ric, Jax, and Alexis that she knew about. Jason and Sonny were both suspicious. "Why? Who now?"

"Michael." He answered.

Claudia was stunned. She hoped the bond she had with Michael might help her cause. "How did he take it?"

"He wants to tell Sonny." Johnny answered. He explained Michael's reaction, and the probability that Carly had known but forgotten.

"Do you think it could work?" Claudia asked hopeful. She wanted to be optimistic about it. It would be great if the secret was out in the open, and with Michael's support maybe Sonny wouldn't be as keen on retaliation.

"No. I think it would be great if it did, but let's be honest, even if Michael could convince Sonny to cease and desist, what are the chances of Jason backing off?"

"Jason is Sonny's foot soldier. He wouldn't go against Sonny and harm the mother of his child."

"The same foot soldier that took over Sonny's business and got Sonny to sign away his parental rights for Carly?" Johnny had done a lot of work with Jason recently, he knew that on a business level Jason was loyal to Sonny, but lately on the personal level Jason's loyalty was to Carly. Michael's shooting definitely fell into the personal column.

"Point taken. So I have to call Michael and tell him to leave it alone. If he really wants this over, then we have to let it slide." She wasn't sure how that was going to happen. Too many people knew to let it die quietly.


	27. Chapter 27

"Everything I have done has been in attempt to keep Carly and her children safe." Jax was offended by Jason's remark otherwise.

"No, everything you have done is to keep your baby safe." Jason retorted. He had come to love Britni because of the link to her mother, but he couldn't help but believe that Jax had sacrificed the safety of Michael to bring her into the world.

"Oh, come on Jason. You knew about Carly's condition before I did; and you also knew that Carly was convinced that she was going through with this before I knew she was pregnant. Besides, you were the one that made the decision to sacrifice Carly to do the c-section. So don't go all high and mighty on me now."

"Is there a problem here?" Sonny asked. He had heard Jax' voice from the nurse's station.

Jason stood staring at Jax.

"Anyone?" Sonny asked.

"She's not up for a lot of visitors today." Jax said coldly.

"Is everything okay? I heard she was doing fine." Sonny responded still unsure of the callousness between the two.

Jason broke his glare and responded. "Carly is still experiencing some headaches. We think yesterday was a little much for her."

"Oh, um, I know she's having family over tomorrow, and I understand why my wife and I would not be welcome. I was hoping to talk to her before she left." Sonny explained. There wasn't anything in particular that he needed to say, but didn't want her to go out of town without a so long. He looked into her window to see her sleeping. "But it looks like now isn't a good time."

"I need to pick up Morgan." Jax announced. The awkwardness still apparent. He went into the room briefly to drop off Carly's latte and pick up Britni.

"Okay, what's really going on?" Sonny asked Jason after Jax walked by. "I don't like the lug anymore than you do, but you wouldn't be acting this way without cause."

"Acting what way?" Jason asked.

"Do you remember when I kissed Brenda before Carly's club opening?"

"Yeah?" Jason responded. It was the night that the horror with Ric Lansing began for Carly. He had taken her to a motel after she had been drugged and stripped her of her clothing. The next morning he made her believe that they had slept together.

"You have the same look in your eyes as when you yelled at me. You told me she and Michael were your family first and you gave them up believing I could do better."

Jason remembered. Carly had left her club. Her cell phone was off and she was gone. He was furious at Sonny for hurting her, and just wanted to know that she was okay.

"Jason, are you?" As he went to ask if Jason was falling for Carly a machine in her room went off. Jason and Sonny looked around. Dr. Patrick Drake came rushing in, followed by Elizabeth and Epiphany.

"Carly." Patrick called out.

"Her blood pressure is rising." Elizabeth observed.

"Carly." Patrick called out again.

Carly was disorientated, but woke up. Jason and Sonny looked on through the doorway. Patrick ordered medication to be put on the IV. Nurse Johnson ran out to get it.

"What? I, um… ouch." Carly's hand was clutching her forehead.

"Shhh…" Liz instructed attempting to calm her down. "Deep breaths."

Carly followed, allowing herself to relax. They all looked on as her blood pressure monitor crept down. Shortly after Epiphany came with the medication for the IV.

"Did you have a dream?" Patrick asked as she stabilized. He wondered what caused her to spike.

"Yeah, but I don't remember." She answered.

"Is this okay?" Sonny asked still freaked out. "I mean, is…is she okay? Okay enough to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes. The blood pressure spiked but not to dangerous levels. We have her on medication to control that." Patrick explained. Due to the nature of the condition, he had instructed the technicians to set the monitor to go off with any spike in her blood pressure.

"I'm fine." Carly looked to Sonny finally adjusting to where she was. "Can we have a minute?"

Patrick scooted out, and Elizabeth reached to Jason to give a sympathetic hand squeeze as he stood in the doorway before she left.

"Jase, please?" He nodded and closed the door behind him.

"I know I probably sound like a parrot, but are you okay?" He repeated.

"Yeah, I don't really know what that was about, but I am glad you are here."

"What do you need?"

"I need to say thank you. I know the boys have been scared. Michael told me about Morgan's tantrum, and this couldn't have been easy on you." Ever since Michael was shot Carly wavered on how active of a role Sonny should be in her children's life. She knew it wasn't fair to either Sonny or her boys, but she never wanted them to hurt like Michael was.

"Hey, don't worry about it. The important thing is that you are doing well, and you are going to live a long and happy life. I know that Claudia…"

"Let's not talk about Claudia." Carly cut in. "I asked Jax to bring Morgan home, and I'm hoping when I get back from South Carolina Michael will move in as well. I know it's been crazy recently with Michael's surgery, the pregnancies, my condition, and then Michael living with the Quartermaine's. I think we need to discuss visitation and routine for the boys."

"We will, when you get back. Until then whatever you need, just let me know."

Carly rested her head back. "Could you send in Jason?"

"Yeah." He found Jason outside the door and headed towards the elevator.

"How are you really doing?" Jason asked as he stepped inside.

"New rule, next person to ask me that gives me a massage."

"Where?" He asked.

Carly motioned towards her back.

"Scoot over." He instructed and sat beside her. She leaned forward. He pressed his fingers into the knots forming in her shoulders. Jason was careful not to touch her bandage, but was happy to feel her melt into his arms. As she felt her energy drain she laid back with her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you." She said before falling back asleep.

"My pleasure." He responded and laid back. He thought back to Sonny's observation and the memory he brought up. His instinct was to protect her, because he couldn't imagine a world without her. The more he saw, the more pain she experienced made him reexamine if either Sonny or Jax could really give Carly the happiness she deserved.

***********

"Dad, I was hoping to talk to you." Michael greeted Sonny at the elevators.

"What's going on?" Sonny asked.

"Do you think we could meet somewhere quiet after I see mom?" Michael asked.

"Your mom isn't up for visitors right now."

"What? Jason said she was doing well." Michael looked concerned.

Sonny explained what had happened with her blood pressure. He told Michael that he spoke with Carly and she seemed good, just tired.

"Some dream." Michael responded wondering if it could have had anything to do with Claudia's involvement in his shooting.

"Yeah, but Dr. Drake didn't act too concerned about it." Sonny responded trying to reassure his son.

"Okay, then can we go to your office? I'm up for a hike." Michael requested. Sonny's coffee shop was newly remodeled several months following it being burned down by the Russian mob.

The temperature was decent, and Sonny liked the idea of spending time with Michael. Max followed in the car behind them. The walk was quiet. Michael tried to come up with what he wanted to say to start.

"What's bothering you?" Sonny handed Michael an espresso.

"What makes you think something is bothering me?"

Sonny stared back as if to say the obvious.

"Okay, I…I know about the shooting." Michael started.

"I told you Michael, it was my fault. I never should have brought you there, and even worse behind your mother's back and without any guards." Sonny knew that he was never going to live down the guilt he felt for that one. His only justice was going to come when Jerry showed his face back in Port Charles and he got the truth about who ordered the hit.

"No, it wasn't your fault. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Whose fault it was doesn't matter anymore, at least it shouldn't."

"Where is this coming from?" Sonny asked.

"I asked Jason why mom collapsed."

"And he told you that Jerry was involved." Sonny gathered, knowing only that half of the truth.

"Yeah, but…"

"Michael, this isn't something you should be worried about. I will handle it."

"But that's it. I don't want it to be handled. You don't want me to be apart of the business because you don't want blood on my hands."

"And you won't." Sonny responded.

"I almost did! And that blood belonged to my mother. All of it started when I shot Kate. It's all on me."

Sonny didn't understand the connection, all he heard was his son doing the same thing he had for ages, blaming himself. "Michael, this isn't your fault."

Michael looked down at his vibrating cell phone; it was a text message from Claudia saying 'don't tell before talking to me.'

"What is it?" Sonny asked.

"Alyssa wants to know when we're meeting next." Michael found that he had his mother's uncanny ability to lie convincingly on the spot.

"Oh, if you want to take that." Sonny offered.

"No, that's okay. Um… Jerry is my uncle in some weird twisted way and I'm asking you to leave it alone. I'm fine, isn't that enough?" He requested feeling out his father's response before he brought up Claudia's name.

"That's not the way the business works." Sonny replied. "But none of this is on you."

Michael just nodded.

***********

"So, this Enrique Huevo guy…" Lucky started.

"No, Juego." Sam corrected from the bathroom.

"Right? What did I say?"

"I think you said egg." She yelled back.

"All right, so senoir Egg, he's the owner of the casino across the street, as well as head Don/ mob boss guy?" Lucky confirmed.

"Actually, Juego is play or game. But yes, if Jerry is going to be contacting anyone directly tonight it would be Enrique."

They had spent most of the afternoon driving around. For lunch they found a café where they sat on the patio trying to listen to a conversation between Enrique Juego and his associate, Gabriel Saviero. Lucky thought he heard Saviero refer to 'llagado de Craig a la decimo hora.' He translated it to mean that Jerry, who also went under the alias of a Mr. Craig, would be coming at ten pm, but they weren't sure where.

"How does this look?" Sam asked stepping out in a short black cocktail dress.

Lucky's eyes lit up. "Muy hermosa." He said brushing up on his Spanish. It had been a long time since he had travelled the road with his father. As a child he picked up bits and pieces of Spanish as they went through Texas.

"Gracias senoir." She replied. He had already dressed in a nice black three piece. Feeling that they were prepared as they were going to be Sam urged him to get going.

"You're set?" Lucky asked not seeing much available space for a firearm.

Sam lifted the skirt to expose the holster on her inner thigh.

"Okay, let's go." Lucky said trying to remember the reasons they broke up.

They walked to the casino enjoying the warm air. "I could get used to Novembers like this again." Sam commented remembering the days when she lived out at sea.

Lucky wrapped his arm around Sam as they entered the casino, keeping up the pretenses as the newly wed couple. They went over to the bar keeping their eyes pealed for any of the heavy hitters in town. Lucky ordered a couple mojito's and followed Sam to the Black Jack table. The dealer ogled Sam, or Sarah, as she piled up the winnings. Lucky kept his ears open hoping to hear any mention of Jerry Jax.

"Did you need a refill?" Lucky asked. He thought he saw a glimpse of something in the window.

He meandered towards the bar, and peered out as he walked by. As he looked he saw Jerry approaching the inn they were staying in. Sam noticed his gaze and joined him. She nibbled on his ear and whispered. "What is it?"

He cocked his head in Jerry's direction. When she noticed he grabbed her neck and passionately kissed her. Hoping to give the illusion that they were off to consummate the marriage. She held his hand and followed him out of the casino. They stayed out of sight as Jerry appeared to register.

"Enjoy your stay Dr. Marlowe that will be room 437." The concierge said handing Jerry his card back. They stayed hidden until the elevator door shut. Then they went back to their room. Lucky loosened his tie and sat back in the bed they were only one floor above their mark. Sam dialed Spinelli.

"Greetings, fair Samantha. It's unfortunate that I must report no farther activity of that of the Unhinged One."

"I have." She responded. "I need you to look up a registration at the InterContinental Miami for a Dr. Marlowe."

"Is that not the current residence of Fair Samantha and the not so current Law Abiding One?"

"It is. The room number is 437. He used a credit card to pay. Spinelli, we need any information you can give us."

"The Jackal is right on that."

"Good, call me with anything you get." She said before hanging up.

"Now what?" Lucky asked.

"We can assume that he's staying for the night, which will give us time to figure out how we are going to go about bringing him back."

Lucky's first impulse was to go up to his room disguised as room service and knock him over the head as he opened the door. The only problem was that the hotel was run and employed by the mob. Their best bet was to follow him until he was alone to confront him. Hopefully Lucky could find his Achilles heel.


	28. Chapter 28

The wheelchair was rolled into Carly's hospital room. She was excited about being released, but less enthused about the mode of transportation.

"Do I really have to use that?" She whined.

"Hospital rules." Bobbie replied.

"Okay, fine anything to get out of here." Carly handed her mother her suitcase and Jason helped her out of the bed into the wheelchair. Jax had stayed at the house to help Michael and Morgan set things up for the homecoming. Jason pushed her through the halls, Carly waved as she passed Epiphany who was probably just as happy she was leaving as Carly was her self. When they made it to the garage Jason went to pick her up, but Carly refused.

"Jase, I can get into your truck all by myself." She knew why everyone was acting so careful, but it was getting increasingly annoying. He took a step back and watched her step into the truck and hoist herself into the seat. Bobbie offered to return the wheelchair.

"I'll meet you there." She said still needing to pick up her gift.

Jason drove carefully. He tried to avoid any pits or potholes that might cause her any discomfort. Carly looked out the window. She opened it a crack to take in the fresh air. She hated being cooped up in the hospital bed and looked forward to being home. He pulled into her driveway and put the vehicle in park.

"You're not carrying me to the door." Carly insisted.

"Do you really want to bet?"

"Jase…"

"Look, I know you're not as healthy as the people in there believe you to be, and I will help you keep up pretenses, but I'm not going to let you push yourself."

"Is this really how the next two weeks are going to go? You have to trust me."

"How?" Jason asked. "You were sick, you were having dizzy spells and told no one, and you almost died because of it."

"How did you know?" Carly asked.

"Patrick figured it out. That's not the point."

"I'm sorry, I thought…"

"I know what you thought, and I'm sorry for going off on you. Just please…" He took a moment to pause. "Please promise that you will tell me if anything."

"I will." She interrupted. She never meant to keep it from Jason. Carly knew that he was the one person she could trust if needed, but she honestly thought that she could make it to c-section. "And I promise that I will get out of this car, walk into the house, sit on the sofa, and stay there until dinner is ready."

Jason smiled. "Well, you can use the restroom if you'd like."

Carly flashed a grin and laughed. "That's very generous of you, let's go."

A sea of "welcome home Carly/mom" echoed in the living room. There was a banner across the living room that had been decorated by Morgan, Molly, and Kristina and everyone had signed it. Even Britni's name appeared in Michael's handwriting.

Morgan was the first to approach Carly in a full run with his arms stretched out.

"Careful." Jason warned as he almost plowed Carly over.

"I'm sorry." He said grasping his mom.

"Don't even, I'm glad to see you too."

Michael and Lulu came over next.

"Okay, how about we let her sit down." Jax requested.

"Not before you kiss me." Carly replied. Jax came over to give his wife a hug and kiss. Michael covered Morgan's eyes.

"I'm so happy you're home." Jax whispered.

Carly sat down and was greeted by Olivia. "I didn't mean to intrude. Johnny and I will leave before dinner. I just wanted to see my best friend."

"Oh God no. You two are completely welcome to stay. I would have invited you myself it's just that…"

"You can't stand my sister." Johnny finished her thought as he joined them.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, most days I can't myself." He explained.

"I am glad you are here." Carly said to Johnny. "This way I can personally express my gratitude."

"For what?"

"I was told how you were there for Morgan. I really appreciate that, and how you called the ambulance and we're there for Michael and Jason." Carly hated how her collapsed affected the people she cared about the most.

Johnny started to blush. He didn't see anything he did as noble or worthy of praise. "You're welcome. Can we leave it at that?"

"Yeah."

"Welcome home Carly." Edward pulled up a chair. "Cooke was wondering if there was anything special that you would like prepared."

Carly looked around the room, everything she wanted was right there with a few exceptions, but they were on the way. "No, whatever anybody else wants." Truth was that her appetite hadn't completely returned.

"I was thrilled by your offer. It's been a long time since the Quartermaine's have had a real Thanksgiving."

"Consider this thanks for watching over Michael. By the way," Carly leaned in to whisper, "Did Monica talk you about New Years?"

"Oh yes." He replied. "And I think it's a good idea. You're raised a fine young man there."

Carly looked over in Michael's direction. He was wrapped up in conversation with Kristina, Lulu, and Matt. She took pride in the fact that he was generally a good boy. He had his moments, but having her as a mother probably didn't help.

She then turned her attention to Jax. "Where's my little girl?"

"Upstairs. She should be waking up soon."

"Can I?" Carly asked to be the one to pick her up and feed her.

"Of course." Jax replied. She got up to navigate the stairwell. It felt like forever since she had been in the nursery. She smiled at the memory of Jax coming home from the department store with the entire girl's section. She almost decided against the baby shower for that reason but Bobbie insisted. Instead of gifts for her and Britni, Carly has asked that donations be made for the charity of their choice. Carly's donation went towards the pediatric head unit at the hospital.

She looked down on her daughter who was starting to squirm and picked her up, and pulled her in close than walked over to the gliding chair. Jax walked in with a warm bottle. He handed it over to his wife and put his hand on her shoulder. Britni bit down on the nipple and started sucking. Her little hand reached up and rested against the bottle as if she were holding it up herself.

"She's so pretty." Carly commented.

"Just like her mom." This was the homecoming memory that Jax wanted to treasure.

After Britni swallowed the last couple of ounces Jax picked her up to change her. "You go; I'll bring her down in a little bit."

Jason stood at the base of the staircase watching to make sure Carly stayed steady. She had a history of falling down flights of stairs. She made it down fine and then went directly to the couch as previously promised. Jason sat on the ledge of the couch behind her.

"Mom, you're back. Do you want to play?" Morgan asked. A group had formed around the coffee table and Michael was shuffling the cards.

"What are we playing?" Carly asked.

"31." Kristina answered.

"I've never heard of it, but sure."

"Are you in?" Michael asked Jason.

"No, I'll watch."

"Edward, are you playing too?" Carly asked.

"I told Monica that I would if she would."

"This I wanted to see." Monica added.

Lulu explained the rules, and this time they used pennies instead of M&Ms to keep score. Michael dealt three cards to Kristina, Molly, Morgan, Carly, Olivia, Johnny, Lulu, Matt, Edward, and Monica. Because of the number of players he decided to add another deck to the game. Carly was dealt the ace, jack, and eight of hearts. When her turn approached she threw out the challenge.

"No way." Johnny shouted out.

"Mom, you do realize that if you lose you lose two pennies." Michael warned. Of course losing meant she had to have the lowest score.

"I get it." She showed her cards to Jason and he smiled.

At the end of the round they went clockwise to reveal what they had. Johnny had the lowest with a five and six of clubs.

"Okay, what do you have?" Lulu asked.

"29 is pretty good, right?" She exposed her hand.

Johnny threw his penny at her, and she laughed. "Can I call a misdeal on that?" He asked.

Kristina was in the process of collecting the cards and shuffling for the next hand.

"I mean, really? Shouldn't we get at least one round before someone can lay down the challenge?" Johnny asked.

"I'd be okay with that." Matt added. Who escaped loss by one point.

"Oh, stop whining." Olivia teased.

Jax brought down Britni and let her lay on the floor mat under the rainforest melodies and lights deluxe gym. She liked to reach up and grab onto the rings above her. Alexis sat with Jax and talked as the game kept going.

The next round lasted a bit longer but Edward was the one to raise the challenge. Carly studied her hand, she had 22 points as it was, and managed to bring it up to 27 on her last turn. Monica was sitting to Edward's left and revealed first. It wasn't terrible with 23. Next was Michael who had 19. Kristina revealed 25. Molly 26. Morgan only had 14.

"I couldn't get anything." Morgan complained. Carly laid down her 27.

"That's better than my 12." Olivia revealed. Johnny felt better about 15. Lulu showed her 28, and Matt had 17.

"So?" Olivia asked, noticing she was on the losing end.

Edward through down the ten, jack and king of spades.

"Damn." Olivia replied and through her penny to the center.

"Who's whining now?" Johnny teased.

"Shut it." She replied.

Several rounds past, nobody had yet to get 31 points, and Carly was the only one to have all three pennies sitting in front of her. The doorbell rang and Jax got up to get it. Bobbie and Lucas stepped in.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Lucas asked. Noticing the cards spread over the table.

"No, not really." Morgan answered.

"We're just getting our butt kicked in cards by someone just out of brain surgery." Lulu added.

"Hey, I resemble that remark." Carly teased. Jason moved out of the way so Lucas could reach around to give her a hug.

"We got you something." Bobbie announced. She handed her what looked to be a garment box.

"You really shouldn't have, mom."

"Open it!" Morgan smiled knowing what was inside.

Carly did as instructed, and pulled out a full sized quilt with black and white pictures of her kids printed on several of the squares of the fabric. There were pictures of both Michael and Morgan as babies and throughout the school years, as well as some of Carly's favorites of the three of them playing out at the Island. Carly noticed the pictures of Britni, one with all three of her kids, and even one of her and her daughter napping in the hospital bed. Carly felt like she was going to cry.

"Oh my God." Was all she could muster. "Thank you momma!"

"I thought about doing this for Christmas, but thought you might want it while you were in South Carolina."

Carly nodded, and wiped tears away.

"Are you all right, mom?" Michael asked not expecting her to react so hard.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go use the restroom. Pass it around so people can see it." Carly instructed. Jason followed her as she veered into the bedroom. She sat down on the bed and started crying, and was noticeable shaking.

"Hey." Jason said wrapping his arms around her.

She was scared. It hadn't dawned on her until then that there was still that possibility that she wasn't going to make it. Carly had been so wrapped up in trying to make everyone else feel okay about her condition that she pushed her own fear aside. Seeing the images of her children growing up reminded her off all the milestones they each still had, and she wanted to be there for them.

"Jason, tell me it's going to be okay." She cried.

"It's going to be okay." He replied. "We're going to get through it. Lean on me if you have to, but your children are your inspiration. You're going to be fine, because they need you to be."

"You're right." She said calming herself down.

"Do you want me to get you some water?" Jason offered.

Carly nodded. They went down the stairs together. Jason went into the kitchen as Carly went back to her spot on the couch.

"I got 31 for you." Lucas announced as she approached.

"Thank you." She replied. That hand added Edward, Olivia and Kristina to the list of players already knocked out of the game. As Lulu dealt the next hand Jason came back with her glass of water.

"Cooke wants everyone to know that dinner will be ready in twenty minutes." He announced.

"Thank you." Monica replied. "Jason, can you help me set the table?"

"I can do that." Jax volunteered, not wanting his guests to pick up the slack.

"No, please, you and Bobbie can watch over Britni."

Monica was hoping that she could pull Jason aside to ask him about Carly's condition. It was nice that she and Matt were both present, but was afraid of the effect all the stimulation might have. So far Carly had been doing a good job of staying sedentary, with a couple trips up the stairs.

"How is she?" She asked as they reached the dinning room.

Jason grabbed some silverware out of the pantry. Cooke had already done the job of putting out the place settings for everyone. "Okay, a moment of weakness, but overall she hasn't shown any physical signs of distress."

"Do you think she's hiding it?" Monica asked.

He shook his head. "I doubt it, but I think she's going to sleep well tonight." Part of him was getting used to being with her as she slept. The idea of her sleeping next to Jax that night bugged him.

"Everything set?" Carly asked as Jason and Monica returned.

"Yeah, Cooke took care of most of it." Jason replied. "Are you still winning?"

"Yes! My own mother took me out." Michael complained.

"We should have known not to play cards with her." Morgan added.

"I don't know, my lonely penny is holding on strong." Johnny commented.

"Mine too." Matt said. "Hey, they can be friends."

Lulu shook her head, not sure of how she felt about her ex and current boyfriend bonding in this way. It was much better than them punching each other out at Jake's though. "Carly, it's your turn to deal."

"Okay, should we knock it down to one deck now?" Carly asked. She pulled out one of the decks and then shuffled and dealt. "Morgan, you're going to feed me some good cards this time, right?"

"No!" He responded.

"No?"

"I'm going to hold every good card, just so you don't get it." Morgan teased.

"Oh great, now that's your strategy." Michael quipped.

As Carly laughed she felt the throbbing in her head start back up. She had been doing well up until that point. She took a breath as she picked up her hand. She already had the ace and ten of diamonds. She watched as people discarded their twos and threes. Morgan picked up a card from the draw pile he took a moment to decide between two cards. He then consulted with Michael, and Michael pointed out the one he thought Morgan should discard. It happened to be the queen of diamonds. Carly picked it up and placed her hand down.

"You're kidding." Matt objected, both he and Johnny were out.

"You know, I'm done." Carly said. "You two can duke it out."

Both Morgan and Lulu were down to one penny.

"Mom?" Morgan looked concerned.

"I'm just tired." Carly replied and laid back into the pillow behind her. Morgan curled up next to her, and she wrapped her arm around him. "Hey, dinner should be ready soon, you should go wash up."

"That's a good idea." Alexis added. "Molly, Kristina."

The adults started moving towards the dinning room. Jax took Britni up to the nursery.

"Jason, can I have a minute?" Lucas asked. Hoping to get some time with his sister as the room cleared. Jason looked to Carly who nodded her approval.

"What's up?" Carly asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" Lucas asked. "Carly, I'm going back to college for a month. I need to know the truth. When I come back…"

"When you come back we're going to celebrate Christmas, and you better introduce me to your boyfriend."

Lucas had told Carly about Joey during their last phone conversation. They had met in class and had been dating for most of the semester. He lived in Albany, NY. They had talked about meeting each others families during the holiday but Lucas wasn't sure that Bobbie was up for it yet. "I will, so everything is okay then?"

"It will be." Carly answered hoping that her answer was enough, she didn't like lying to her brother.


	29. Chapter 29

Lucky spent the early morning looking out the window overlooking the parking lot. He was hoping to determine Jerry's latest vehicle. As he kept his eyes peeled Sam received a call from Spinelli. With the information given to him the Jackal was able to put a trace on Jerry's hotel line to listen on to any incoming calls.

"Has he heard anything yet?" Lucky asked several hours later. Unfortunately no movement had been made outside the building. Lucky had decided to keep a notebook. He wrote down all the license plates in the parking lot and crossed them off as the owners were identified. There were still a half dozen that were unidentified, Sam was online trying to run a trace on any of the remaining cars.

"Nothing." The waiting was the hardest part of her job. She liked going under cover and thrived in action, but was bored just sitting. "Should we switch?"

"What do you believe his weakness is?" Lucky asked as he sat by the laptop. "Is there anything he actually cares about?"

"His brother. At least on some level." Sam responded.

Lucky tried to piece together everything he knew about Jerry's recent actions. "That doesn't make any sense."

"What about Jerry Jax has ever made sense?"

"Why would Jerry risk his brother's marriage to tell Carly the truth?" Lucky asked.

He decided to play the copy of the DVD that Spinelli had made for them. He hoped that it might spark something useful. All he heard was a half-hazard apology and excuses as to why he shouldn't be held responsible for the night that shattered his sister-in-law's life.

"Sam, why?" He asked catching something.

"Why what?"

"Why didn't Jerry take the shot? Why would he bring an inexperienced greedy doctor into the job? He has no loyalty to Sonny Corinthos, and he obviously didn't mind him dead."

"And it's not like Jasper Jax cares if Sonny dies." Sam added knowing the animosity between the two.

"Except the role that Sonny plays as the father to his step children." Lucky commented.

Sam stared out the window with the binoculars. She crossed off two more plates. "It's Carly."

"What?"

"Jerry's soft spot is Carly. He didn't want to be the shooter because he knew it would devastate her, and he couldn't be the cause. When it went wrong and Michael was shot he felt guilty and so he decided to play around with Claudia. He came back in April, but when he found out Carly was pregnant he disappeared again."

"And as the baby's due date drew near, and he knew Michael was okay he decided to come back and try to make amends with her." Lucky finished.

"All this time I thought he had a thing for my mother." Sam replied.

"How do we use it?" As Lucky asked the question Sam's phone rang.

"Spinelli, what do you have?" Sam answered.

"The Dastardly Doctor in Disguise has agreed to meet with one Gabriel Saviero at the eleventh hour in a downtown club called the Paradiso." Spinelli relayed the message.

"Great, look up the Paradiso. I need to know who it is run by."

"Already one step ahead of the Goddess."

"Spinelli!" She had on multiple occasions asked him to refrain from calling her that.

"Sorry, fair Samantha. As I was saying the proprietorship of the establishment is a local by the name Miguel Rodriguez. The Jackal has hacked into the MPD database and no illegal activity has been reported."

"Did you run the name past Bernie?"

"The Senior Sir has no recollection of any dealings."

"Thank you, Spinelli." She said before hanging up.

"We're on?" Lucky perked up.

"We're on!"

***********

Lucas was either pacified or knew enough not to push. He went with Carly into the dinning room to join the others gathered around the table. Morgan led the prayer, and then conversation erupted.

"What did you two end up doing?" Lucas asked Lulu and Matt.

People listened as Lulu told about the cruise, and then the dinner in Manhattan, followed by the helicopter ride back. After the good night kiss at her doorstep, Lulu and Maxie stayed up another three hours discussing every detail, including the part where Matt asked her officially to be his girlfriend. She didn't feel like going into that much detail, especially with her ex sitting a couple seats down from her.

"Way to set the bar high." Johnny said impressed.

"Yeah, what do you have planned next?" Olivia commented. "A trip to Disney world?"

"I was going to leave the next date up to Lulu, but she wants to take me to some stupid vampire movie." Matt replied.

"I asked if you would be interested." Lulu countered.

Michael giggled. "I saw that. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought. Some of the werewolf fighting sequences were pretty good."

"See." Both Lulu and Carly said to their respective significant others.

"I have no problem with you and Lulu going." Jax told his wife.

"Fine, we will? Olivia, are you in?" Carly asked.

Olivia looked over to Johnny who quickly nodded no. She wasn't in on the craze, but thought the girl's night out could be fun. "Sure, why not?"

"Girl's night it is, Alexis, Kristina, Molly, Monica, mom?"

"I've already seen it, but yes, I'll go again." Kristina responded. Both Monica and Bobbie opted out. Molly looked over to her mom for approval. Alexis had already bought the books for her daughter to read, she couldn't say no to her watching the movie.

"Edward, thank you again for letting us borrow Cooke." Jax said changing the subject. Cooke had left after dinner had been served.

"Oh no, thank you for inviting us into your home. Too bad Tracy and that ingrate of a husband couldn't be here."

"Luke was busy with the Haunted Star tonight." Bobbie defended her brother.

"You mean that money pit is open again?" Edward asked.

"Edward enough." Monica cautioned. The Spencer family gathering wasn't the place to be complaining about his son-in-law.

"Speaking of missing Spencer's, where is you brother?" Jax asked Lulu. Carly had forgotten to mention that he wasn't going to be there.

"He mentioned something about a last minute out-of-town training convention. Lucky wasn't specific about how long he would be gone." Considering her dad's notoriety for vanishing for weeks to months at a time Lulu learned not to press for details.

Alexis kept her mouth shut. She knew that she needed to tell Jax about the charges that had been brought against Jerry, but he had been through a lot in a short amount of time and she wasn't sure how to do it. She hoped to take suspicion off of Lucky's disappearance by changing the subject. "Is anyone here ready for Christmas?"

Everyone sat silent looking around the room.

"I'm ready." Morgan was the only one to say anything. He was good about saving money and tended to get presents throughout the year.

"I'm almost." Molly added. She was still looking to find something to send to her father.

"Oh, speaking of Christmas. Michael, I have an early gift for you."

"Really? What?"

Edward passed Michael a box, inside was what looked to be a house key.

"I don't get it." Michael replied.

"That is the key to the Quartermaine ski lodge. I thought it might be a fun senior trip if you and your friends wanted to stay there for the New Year." Carly had actually been thinking about asking the Quartermaine's about it prior to needing the excuse as a cover.

Michael's eyes widened in excitement. "You're kidding?" He remembered how paranoid he thought Carly had been acting when he woke up. All he wanted was to be trusted.

Carly shook her head no.

"You're the best!"

"You just remember that the next time you get yelled at for keeping your car out too late." Carly responded. She liked the fact that Monica had run his indiscretions past her.

Dinner finished up. Bobbie and Jax cleared the plates from the table and Carly went back to the corner of the couch. Jason joined her, and set his hand on her shoulders and lightly pressed in a gentle message.

"Thank you." She responded feeling like she'd been doing a lot of that lately.

He wanted to avoid the redundant 'are you okay.' He kept quiet during dinner watching as she enthralled herself in her company, while barely picking at her meal. When the focus was away from her she shut her eyes allowing for momentary lapses in the throbbing.

"Carly?" He started.

"Yeah?"

"You would say something if it was too much?"

"I'm hitting a wall." She confessed. Jason eyed Monica, who was also trying to pay attention to the signs Carly was giving out.

"Edward, I think it's time we should go." Monica urged hoping others would follow the lead. She added that she had an early shift the next morning.

The Davis girl's were going back to school early the next morning so Alexis urged them to get going. They said goodbye to Michael and Morgan before leaving. Carly confirmed the weekend after she got back as the date for the girl's night. Olivia promised to take care of the hotel before her and Johnny took off. Carly wasn't really worried, she had already been doing a great job, she was more afraid she wasn't going to be needed when she did get back.

Lucas examined the clock and realized he had to get going to make it back to NYU at a decent time.

"Make sure you're taking care of yourself." Lucas demanded as he gave his sister a hug.

"Don't be a stranger. Call me anytime." She told him.

"I may just do that." He said goodbye to his mom and nephews before leaving.

Lulu left with Matt. They were going to go back to Matt's place to watch a movie that didn't contain glittering vampires.

"I'm going to check on Britni." Carly excused herself from the room. Michael followed her to the nursery.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Michael asked noticing her lack of energy.

Carly was sitting on the glider with her daughter. "Would you be willing to stay the night and keep Morgan busy?"

"I think I can manage that. Thank you again for the present. I was wondering if I could invite anybody."

"Are you referring to Alyssa?" Carly asked.

He nodded.

"Michael, your grandmother was young when I was born. She didn't have the ability and resources to take care of me…"

"Mom, I know." He cut her birds and bee's talk.

"Okay, then I don't care who you invite, but you have to leave it in the same condition as when you arrived, and no drinking…"

"I know." He repeated.

Carly wanted to be able to loosen the reigns a bit. Michael was almost old enough to be out on his own and she hoped that she did a good enough job where he wouldn't repeat her past mistakes or make all new ones that were worse. "I know you do, and I wouldn't have offered if I didn't trust you."

Something had been bugging him all day. As he was in the room alone with her he finally felt comfortable enough to confess his fear. "Mom, it was fun having people over today, but I can't help feeling like it's your way of saying goodbye, just in case."

"I'm not ready to say goodbye to anybody." Carly insisted.


	30. Chapter 30

The atmosphere at the Paradiso was not quite what Lucky was expecting in the upscale district of Miami. The club was falling apart on the outside, and was small and quiet upon entering, though still had the bright colors, Latin music, and crowded dance floor.

"Come on." Sam urged him toward the dance floor. She figured that in order to stay hidden it would be better to stick within the crowd, besides she was delighted by the idea of getting to dance.

"I really don't think so." Lucky backed out. "I'd stick out like a sore thumb."

"Please, you're not that bad. Besides, you've danced before." Sam recalled the dancing done at Nik's black and white ball.

"That was different."

"No, it's not. Just add a little bit of hips into it." She said while demonstrating a little salsa.

"Okay, fine." She dragged him out to the dance floor before he changed his mind again. As he danced he had to admit that he was having fun. He watched Sam spin around him, then held her hands and followed her lead in the cha-cha. She was getting caught up in the music and almost forgot what they were doing there until Lucky stopped.

"Is he here?" Sam asked. She saw the disdain in his eyes.

Feeling more comfortable with his own movement, Lucky spun her around to let her get a glimpse of Jerry who was following Saviero into the back room.

"Are you getting tired?" Lucky asked.

"I could use refreshment." She responded.

She followed him to the bar and then found a seat by the back exit, adjacent the door to the back room. They kept light conversation between them, both enjoying the familiar banter and continual flirtation. When they heard the door open Sam pulled Lucky into a kiss. He watched Jerry walk past through the corner of his eye and detoured into the men's room. They took a moment to come up with a game plan, and agreed that this was probably their best bet.

He walked into the room and found Jerry washing his hands. Lucky pulled his gun out.

"Detective Spencer, I'm quite sure this extends well beyond your jurisdiction."

"Who says I'm going to pull my badge out before squeezing the trigger?" Lucky responded.

"You know, I thought that was you that I saw. Which means, the sultry brunette, oh that wouldn't happen to be sweet Sam?"

Lucky was not in the mood for his mind games. "There's a warrant for your arrest in Port Charles. I am going to make the choice easy. You can come with me without fuss or I can shoot you and force what is left of you back."

"If you did that you would be making a grave mistake."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, you see, three of my men have Samantha detained right now. Therefore, the choice is actually yours. You can shoot me in the knee cap and take me back to New York or you can save her."

"You're lying." He claimed telling himself that he would have heard signs of struggle from outside the door.

"Are you willing to put her life on that?"

Lucky stood with his gun cocked.

"I'd be careful detective, the longer you take to decide, the more trigger happy my associates become."

"I will find you." Lucky said and backed out of the door. He eyed their table and Sam was missing. Then he approached the back room.

Saviero and two other men stood beyond with their weapons drawn, one of which was fixed on Sam's temple. Lucky looked to Sam as he extended his weapon. He shot the guy next to her as she grabbed his wrists and pushed up. His weapon fired towards the ceiling as he dropped to the floor. Lucky slid behind a table. The guy closest to the door targeted him.

Sam grabbed control the shot gun and took out Saviero. Lucky waited for the final round to empty before taking his shot and injuring the last gunman.

"Let's go!" Lucky yelled and they both ran to the parking lot. Jerry's car was long gone. They jumped into their vehicle and drove off before the cops arrived.


	31. Chapter 31

"Morgan, hurry up!" Carly shouted up the stairs. She had promised to bring him to breakfast before taking him to school. "Max is going to leave without us."

"Are you sure you don't need me to come with?" Jax gave his wife another kiss on the forehead. She had fallen asleep on the glider the night before. When Britni cried for her late night feeding Bobbie took care of Britni and Jax carried Carly into the bedroom. It was nice waking up with her in his arms the next morning.

"I'll be fine. I told you Britni needs you here."

"You're mom has been staying over, and Mercedes is here during the day while she's at work."

"She needs her father." Carly replied. Although the thought process was the she needed both parents, Carly had something to take care of before that could happen. "Morgan!"

He ran down the stairs. "I'm coming. Here let me get that for you." He said grabbing the suitcase. She had an extra carry on with her quilt, teddy bear, and books to read on the plane.

"One more hug?" Jax pleaded.

She embraced him and left him with a lingering kiss. "I will give you the number to the hotel as soon as we check in."

"Hotel? You're not staying at the clinic?"

"No, Robin says it's mostly out patient." She was unclear about the details of the treatment, but that worked in her favor, she could honestly say 'I don't know.'

"Well, I'm sure Jason can afford his own room."

"Stop, really! I love you." She said before walking away.

"I love you, too." He replied.

"Good morning Mrs. C. I mean J." Max greeted her.

"Max, you do know that this could be simplified if you just called me Carly." She thought back to all her previous last names; Benson, Roberts, Quartermaine, Corinthos, Alcazar, and Jax. It was a wonder that she did not get confused.

"I will keep that in mind." Max promised. "Where are we off too?"

"Kelly's." Morgan answered. "Jason is meeting us there, and then I'm going to school, and mom and Jason are going to the airport."

"Sure thing, boss." He told Morgan, smiling at the detailed explanation. He shut the limo door and drove in the direction of the diner.

"Carly, it's good to see you." Mike greeted her.

"Yeah, I was hoping you would be here this morning."

"What can I get you?" He asked after giving his grandson a hug.

"I'll take a muffin and a coffee." She replied. Morgan ordered a French toast platter.

"I still don't know where all that goes?" Carly said as the plate was set down in front of him.

"Dad says that I have a high metabolism." Morgan responded.

"Oh really? Is that what dad says?"

"He's a growing boy." Jason added coming into the conversation.

"Hi Jason." Morgan greeted.

"Hey you." He responded ruffling Morgan's hair.

Morgan gave him a devilish looked and combed his fingers through it. Carly laughed. Jason appreciated seeing her smile. Enough so that he was not going to comment on her miniscule muffin.

Jason ordered and ate while Morgan explained the upcoming class field trip to the science museum. He was looking forward to the dinosaur skeletons. He went off about the different theories about why they died off and the possibilities of what they could have evolved into. Carly and Jason listened, nodded when appropriate.

"Make sure to take good care of her." Morgan instructed as he arrived at school.

"That's the plan." Jason replied.

Max closed the door as Morgan skipped to his classroom. The energy from breakfast had to be burnt somehow. Carly watched as her son appeared to have not a care in the world.

***********

"God dammit!" Lucky yelled in frustration. "We were so close."

"Lucky, calm down." Sam replied.

He had tried sleeping it off, but replayed everything that happened. He decided that they must have been discovered on the dance floor. Unfortunately what they had going for them was gone. They were not sure if he was staying in Florida and now he was aware that they were after him.

"How do we track him?" Lucky asked after taking a couple deep breaths.

"We were down to three license plates yesterday. I called Spinelli and he was going to look at the surveillance videos from the neighboring parking lots to see if he can locate the car." Sam explained.

"Has he been able to hack into Jerry's credit card account?" He asked studying the road atlas that Sam had opened up on the table. West off of 395 was the Miami International Airport, he could be heading anywhere.

"I don't know. He hasn't gotten back to me yet." Sam confessed.

"I can't just sit here." He said going stir crazy. He was understanding why Commissioner Scorpio attempted to keep cops off cases where there was a conflict of interest.

"Are you saying that you need a distraction?" Sam asked hoping to get him to relax.

"What do you have in mind?" He replied. She sat in his lap and learned in for a kiss. He clasped his arms around her and kissed back. Getting wrapped up in the moment with his emotions surging he picked her up and dropped her down on the bed, and then took his shirt off.


	32. Chapter 32

Upon take off Carly rested her head against Jason's shoulder and fell asleep. Jason put his arm around her and plugged the headphones in pretending to watch the movie shown. It was Carly's request to not use a private jet, although he wasn't exactly sure he understood the reason why. She mentioned something about not wanting the pilot to get clued on to her condition. He learned early on not to argue the small stuff with her. On the descend she woke up.

"Hey sleepy head." Jason whispered.

"Where are we?" She asked drowsily.

"About to land in South Carolina."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I must be great company." She said sarcastically.

"It wasn't bad. Besides the lying and covering is over now. No more deception. You don't have to act around me."

"I know." Which was good, she wasn't sure how long she could keep it up. Especially since it seemed that for every good day she had a bad day followed.

They arrived at the clinic at a quarter to noon. The attendant at the front desk handed Carly a clip board with paperwork to fill out. She pulled out her insurance card and driver's license to get the information they needed. By the fourth page of the medical history she was starting to see in double.

"Do you need some help?" Jason offered. He was sure to know everything they were to ask.

"How do you always know exactly what I need?" She asked and passed him the clipboard.

He just smiled, and marked the boxes as indicated. After handing in the health history they sat back down and waited.

"Caroline Jax." A woman wearing a lab coat called her name.

She took a breath and followed. Jason came with for support. "Carly, please." She said as they sat down in the office.

"Nice to meet you Carly. My name is Dr. Erin Rowan. Dr. Scorpio has already faxed over your chart so we are all familiar with your status. Are there any initial questions?"

"Yes. What exactly is the treatment?" Carly asked.

"Dr. Scorpio didn't tell you anything about it?"

"Not really. I know that the ZBT has increased the clotting factor in my brain, and the blood thinner they gave me caused internal bleeding following surgery. Before I was released on Sunday they did another CT scan to check for any changes since I woke up, but I didn't get the results back from that. Robin, or Dr. Scorpio said something about getting the right combination of medication to stop the bleeding."

"It's tricky, we need to increase the clotting factor enough to stop the bleeding without intensifying the risk of stroke."

"How do you do that?" Jason asked.

"Mr. Jax, I presume?"

"No, this is Jason Morgan. I listed him as my emergency contact, there's a release in my chart to discuss anything with him." Carly explained.

"Being off of the blood thinner for the last couple of days has helped reduce the amount of bleeding. There's substantial swelling, but I'm convinced that it will go down as you recover."

"That's good news, then." Carly gathered. Looking to Jason for acknowledgement.

"Yes, that's a start. As you stated are job right now is to find the right combination and dosage of medication to reduce the likelihood of another stroke occurring." Dr. Rowan explained the procedure, she would be getting a daily blood test and then would be hooked to a machine that did something with her blood, Carly was having a hard time concentrating, she thought she heard it was meant to purify from clotting agents, but it worked much like the machines used to donate plasma. Then would be given a dosage of medication that would be slowly increased until the blood test revealed the desired results. They were hoping that would take about a week, and then the next week would be utilized for observation and maintenance.

"What kind of side effects can we expect?" Jason asked.

"Most likely you will be experiencing symptoms of anemia." She answered. "This typically manifests as weakness and lack of energy. In more severe cases it could include physical discomfort or nausea."

"Any other risks?" Carly asked. Jason was holding onto her hand.

"You're immune system will be compromised. We will be giving you an antibiotic, but we do ask that you do your best to stay away from any harmful viruses. Stay clear from any one that displays signs of illness, wash your hands, and keep your clothing and bedding disinfected."

"Okay, yeah, I can do that. When do we start?"

"Tomorrow. A technician will get an initial blood sample from you before you leave, but then you are free to take the rest of the day off and get settled in the hotel. Are there any other questions?"

"I haven't had an appetite since waking up, is that a side effect to any of the medication I might be on?"

"It could be, it's also possible that the hypothalamus was effected during surgery. I do recommend eating what you can, you're going to need the energy."

Carly nodded, she couldn't think of any other questions at the time, but Dr. Rowan assured her that she could ask at any came up.

"Thank you." Jason volunteered as she left the room. Then looked over to Carly. "It's going to be okay."

"Just count to ten, right?"

"Yeah, something like that. I'll be here, every step of the way."

She squeezed his hand a little harder, and then waited for the technician to take the first vile of blood out of her.

***********

After school Michael went directly to his car. He took out his phone and immediate started texting.

'Where would you be able to meet?' Michael sent Claudia. He waited for her response, watching his friends gather around their tree. He saw Alyssa search for him and he wanted to join the crowd. His dad's business had always set him apart. He was finally at a point where people were starting to see him for him and not the Godfather's son. Michael knew his involvement was probably just going to make matters worse, but he could not help but take on the blame.

'Your dad is working, come to the house.' His step-mother wrote back. Michael started the ignition and pulled out of the parking spot. It was windy, and he kept slow trying to fight the feeling of being pushed off the road in the convertible.

Milo greeted him at the door. "Your father is not in." Milo explained.

"I know. I was looking for Claudia. She's expecting me."

Milo showed him to the den.

"Should we go for a walk?" Claudia asked as Michael entered.

"It's cold out there." Michael warned but knew she was looking for privacy.

"How's the baby?" Michael asked when they stepped outside.

"She's good. Your dad and I are still debating names." She admitted, and then decided to cut away from the small talk. She wasn't sure how much time they had. "Johnny told me that you know."

"And I'm assuming that he told you that my first instinct was to tell my dad."

"Thank you for not." Claudia replied. She would know if he had with her being dead already.

"I tried, but dad was very intent on 'taking care of it.'" Michael explained.

"I can understand if you hate me." She said after a moment of awkward silence.

"I don't hate you." He admitted. "I hate that I lost a year of my life. I hate that part of my dad's business is getting shot at, and I hate that my mom almost died because I decided that I needed a firearm."

"What?"

"This started because after Leticia and Emily were killed I thought I needed to protect my mom and brother. I bought a gun and bullets, accidently shot my father's girlfriend, and ran away like a coward. Dad blamed you and Johnny, which caused the shooting in the warehouse."

"What does this have to do with your mother?" Johnny had mentioned that there was a possibility that Jerry may have told her something.

"Jason thinks that the reason mom collapsed is that she found out you ordered the hit that landed me in the coma."

"I'm so sorry." She said, but was intrigued by the information that Jason was aware and had yet to come after her. However, she was sure Carly's treatment was a temporary distraction.

Michael recalled hearing the phrase echo in his head while he was unconscious. "I know, but what do we do now? It's not going to be a secret much longer. If mom remembers she's going to tell Jason. If Jerry comes back dad is going to find a way to get it out of him."

"And I'm pretty sure Jax has already told Alexis." Claudia added. She recalled the confrontation at the hospital. That made more sense after finding out that Jerry squealed to Carly, Jax no longer had a reason to keep it quiet. Especially when he thought his wife was dying. "What do you want?"

"I thought I wanted to be a part of the business. I liked the respect and power my dad had. Morgan and I had anything we could ever ask for. I've found that the deeper you get, you find there's no way out. I don't want to be responsible for someone else's death."

"Alexis wants to prosecute me."

Michael snickered. "You are guilty, which means in Port Charles you're probably going to get off."

"Not if I confess." Claudia replied. She had been thinking hard lately about her options. The safest bet would have been her taking off after it happened as Johnny had suggested. At this point she was sure that she'd always be looking over her shoulder, especially since she'd be taking Sonny's child with her. If she confessed she would be in jail, but alive.

"What about your baby?" Michael asked. "I can't ask you to give up your daughter because you were protecting your brother."

"I'm glad you feel that way. I wish your father did."

"I wish I could convince him."

"What are you two doing out here?" Sonny asked. "It's freezing."

"I had some questions that I wasn't comfortable asking around Milo." Michael spoke up. "I'm sorry if I did anything that could hurt the baby."

"She's fine, but maybe we should go inside and warm up." She still wasn't sure how this was going to play out, but there was some comfort that Michael knew and understood. Now if only the adults could be so understanding.

***********

Sam lay in Lucky's embrace. Both were bathed in sweat, but too tranquil to find the ambition to get up. He ran his fingers through her hair as she was spooned next to him.

The phone rang causing Sam to jump. "Hello, Spinelli?"

"No, sorry, it's just your mother." Alexis answered.

"Mom, is everything okay with Kristina and Molly?" She asked.

"Yes, they are well. I was more worried about my eldest."

Sam and Alexis were still working on their mother/daughter relationship. "I'm okay. We found Jerry, but he slipped away from us. We are now awaiting a call from Spinelli." Sam explained.

"I'm glad you're safe. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Sam thought about what the resources of the PCPD could do to assist. "I can't think of anything, at least not without some kind of the idea of where to start looking. Except, have you talked to Jax?"

"No, why?" Alexis was hoping to keep Jax out of it, at least until Carly had left for her treatment.

"If he's going to contact anybody it would be his brother. He knows there is an arrest warrant out for him. He may want details on that, or at least to find out how Carly is doing."

"I'm sure he has sources feeding him updates, but I'll talk to Jax." Alexis added. While Sam and Alexis talked Lucky noticed an envelop slide underneath the door. He pulled his gun out and looked down the hall to see the elevator door close.

"Mom, I have to go." Sam said ending the conversation.

Lucky opened up the envelop to read the sheet of typed parchment.

_"Dear friends, _

_I feel horrendous that our meeting had to be cut short. I would have loved to share in the company of sweet Sam. Atlas, per chance we can make it up as I head west. Remember the Alamo!_

_Sincerely, JJ"_

Lucky felt his temper rising as he read the note out loud. It had become Jerry's game yet again. "Do we head out to San Antonio?" He asked breaking the not so cryptic code.

Sam laughed. "Did you read the part that said 'p.s. this is a trap?'"

"What do you suggest? I can't let him go."

"We don't know that is where he is going. For all we know he is leaving a bomb in Texas and hitching a flight to Australia." Sam explained that their best bet was to wait for Spinelli to contact them.

"I have a better idea." Lucky said picking up his phone. He thought back to his days as a child when his father was running from Frank Smith. There were points of safe harbor in the area for the descendant of Lucas Lorenzo Spencer. He was sure that Luke would still have the contacts.


	33. Chapter 33

"I am so sorry. There's an equestrian convention here this week and it looks like we have double booked one of your rooms." The attendant apologized to Jason and Carly. "I promise that as soon as a room opens up it is yours free of charge."

"Don't worry about it." Jason said handing over his credit card. "We still have the one?"

"Yes sir, and for the inconvenience all room service is on us. You will be staying in room 206. Can I get you to sign right here?"

The desk clerk handed over the key cards and pointed out the direction of the room. The bell hop followed with their luggage. As soon as she got into the room Carly opened the curtains to reveal the ocean view. Jason's eyes were glued to the single king sized bed. The bell hop dropped off the bags and Jason provided a generous tip.

"What do you want tonight? Order in pizza and watch a movie?"

"No." Carly answered. "According to the doctor this is probably going to be the most amount of energy I have for awhile. I want to go out for a nice dinner and then take a walk on the beach."

"A nice dinner that you're going to eat five bites of?" Jason teased.

Carly hit him, as she swung back he grabbed her arm and brought her close. Holding both shoulders he looked into her eyes and gazed for a brief moment.

"Anything you want." He finally said.

They found a nice seafood restaurant a few blocks down the road. Carly ordered a shrimp salad and as Jason predicted was only able to pick at it. She was, however, able to enjoy a couple glasses of wine.

"Oh, God, when did I become such a lightweight?" Carly asked feeling the effects from the alcohol.

"Maybe we should cut you off." Jason said wondering the possible risks that it may have on her blood condition.

"Remember when we went to South America?" Carly recalled as she took a sip of water.

He chuckled. "Yeah, you drank that guy under the table."

"Yes. I got us his boat." She boasted.

"That you did. I'm fairly certain you can do anything you put your mind to."

She nodded. With the right motivation, and Jason by her side, she really could do the impossible.

"Are you finished?" Jason asked.

Carly pushed her plate away from her. After paying the check Jason took Carly's hand and walked along the beach listening to the ocean crash against the shore. The sun was setting, which meant the waves were at their highest.

"I love this scent." Carly commented. "The fresh warm air mixed with the salt water. It reminds me of Florida, and the Island. God, it feels like it has been so long since we've taken the boy's there."

"We will, soon. When this is all over, after the holidays are through, and you've had time to settle into your life, we'll go and bring Britni for her first time."

She stood out looking towards the horizon. The sun was just about to reach below sea level. It left the most beautiful arrangement of pastels in the sky and mirrored in the water.

"I'd like that." She responded.

They took the time to watch the sun disappear; she held his hands that were wrapped over her shoulders. Then they walked back in the direction of the hotel. While she was walking Carly's foot slipped on a large seashell. Jason felt a tug on his arm and stepped in front of her. She threw her arms around his neck as she stumbled forward. For the second time that evening their eyes met. Giving into the moment Jason leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Feeling like she was ten feet away from herself looking on she kissed back. She melted into his embrace, and all thoughts ceased to exist, until she pulled back.

"I can't." Carly caught up with herself. "I promised myself I was going to let this happen after we renewed our vows." Although she always thought it was Sonny that she would need to resist.

"Carly, I…I'm sorry."

"No, don't, please. We should go back. I promised Jax I'd call as soon as we checked in."

The rest of the walk was silent except for the continual crashing of the waves. The last thing Jason wanted to do was to make Carly feel uncomfortable around him. He needed her to trust him if she was going to get through the next couple weeks. Carly's thoughts went back to her conversation with Jax when he dropped the bomb that he thought Jason was falling for her. She still thought it was ridiculous, what happened that evening was a case of too much wine and the magic hour of the sunset, nothing more.

"I can take the floor." Jason offered laying out an extra blanket and pillow.

"Don't be stupid. This bed is plenty big for both of us."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." She stated.

"Okay, I'm going to wash up." He said before exiting to the restroom.

"Hi Jax." Carly said after dialing the home number.

"Don't tell me you just got in?" Jax replied sounding concerned.

"No, I'm sorry. Jason and I went out for dinner. How is everything there?"

"Good, Britni went with me to the office for a while. She was a hit, and seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. I picked up Morgan after school, and we went to Karate together while your mom watched over Brit." Jax explained.

"Thank you for everything."

"Carly, are you okay? You sound distracted. How did the appointment go?"

"I'm fine. I just don't like missing you and the kids. The appointment was fine. It's pretty much what I expected. There will be a lot of drawing of blood and trying different medications."

"I still wish I was there." Jax commented.

"Don't worry. I'm in good hands. Can I talk to Morgan before he goes to bed?"

Jax passed the phone to his step-son who was waiting patiently to speak to his mom. Jax was sure she was in good hands. He just was not comfortable with the intentions of those hands.

"Hi mom."

"Hey honey. Are you behaving for your grandmother and Jax?"

"Yes." He responded. "I even helped give Britni her bottle."

"Thank you. You are such a great big brother."

"I learned from the best." He recalled everything Michael taught him throughout the years.

"It's just about bed time." She reminded him.

"I know I'm glad you called. Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight sweetie. Now give your sister a hug for me."

"I will. I love you." Morgan replied.

"I love you, too." Morgan passed the phone back to Jax and did what she asked. He went up to bed as Carly was finishing her conversation with Jax. Jason watched as put the phone down, and then sat beside her and wiped away the tear that found its path down her cheek.

"You'll be home soon." He said hoping to offer her comfort.

Her energy was rapidly waning. She rested her head back and closed her eyes. Jason stretched out next to her, she rolled over and her hand dropped on his chest, and he held onto it. He thought about what had happened on the beach, and was angry at himself for not waiting until she was ready. He had to laugh at her commitment to Jax after the lies he told starting on the day that they renewed their vows. Maybe Jax was right though, he kept the same secrets. He didn't have the proof Claudia was responsible, not the same proof he suspected that Jax had, but he still hid what he knew in order to protect his best friend.


	34. Chapter 34

It was the first day of December and snow flurries hung in the air. Michael watched the weather channel, which was predicting unusually cold and icy terrain this time of the year in New York. He was nervous about driving. This was going to be his first winter behind the wheel of his car.

"Have you had your tires checked?" Edward asked as he watched the news with him.

"No, not yet. I was going to have Johnny take a look later this week. The oil should be changed too."

"Don't push it off too much, son. It looks like it's going to be a harsh season."

"I won't." Michael replied and then picked up his pack and left the Quartermaine mansion. He drove to Harbor View Road to pick up Alyssa, who lived a few blocks down from his mother. That was going to be one bonus when he moved in with her.

"I missed you after school yesterday." She stated.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I had some family things to take care of."

"You've had a lot of that lately. Not that I mind, well maybe a little." She explained.

"Well, I'm all yours tonight." Michael claimed. He liked Alyssa and wanted to show her that he could make her a priority. "Anything you want."

"Anything?" She giggled.

He didn't want to know what she meant by that. "Anything within reason." Michael backed down.

She thought about it for awhile. What she wanted was a nice romantic dinner at her place where she could kick her parents out and she could tell Michael how she felt. They had danced around the issue for a while and she hoped that it would be soon she could officially refer to him as her boyfriend. Michael wasn't like most of the other boys at school. He didn't seem to care about the latest gossip, and didn't play into games of finding the most popular cheerleader to date and then break-up with just to get another notch in his record. He seemed to genuinely care about the people that were close to him, and she appreciated that.

"I'll let you know in English." She decided. They ran to the school before the first bell rang.

************

"For what do I owe this honor?" Jax asked as Alexis closed his office door behind her.

"You know how in the hospital you asked to speak to me as a friend and not the district attorney?" She said diving right into the issue.

"Am I to suppose that you have trouble disassociating the two?" He guessed.

"Yeah, I suppose the disassociation between friend, mother, and district attorney was hard in this case." Alexis explained how the information was used to locate the DVD. Jax had found it odd that it was missing, but assumed Jerry was cleaning up after himself. She then explained Sam and Lucky's disappearance and the last phone call with her daughter.

"You mean you put an arrest warrant out for my brother?"

"It was the only way to start a case against Claudia." Alexis explained.

"No, don't get me wrong. I think Jerry should rot in prison for life for everything he has done. It would also be nice to see Claudia sitting beside him."

"But?"

"If Jerry is found, and Claudia is tried, Carly is going to find out." He took a moment. He knew this was coming, and he told himself early on that the secret was only for her protection as she was dealing with the pregnancy and blood condition. Besides, he couldn't keep it hidden much longer. If he didn't tell, Jason certainly would.

"Are you sure that's going to be the end of your marriage?"

"You didn't see how furious she was. I've seen her angry before, but not like that."

"But with Britni?"

"Could you forgive me if I let Kristina or Molly move in with Claudia knowing what I knew?"

"I don't know." She replied honestly. "But maybe she doesn't have to know that you knew. For all she has to know the DVD caused the stroke, you found it at the house, Spinelli decrypted it, and that's how you found out about Claudia's involvement."

"Are you feeling all right?" Jax asked. "Are you actually trying to save my relationship with Carly?"

"Hell must have frozen over, huh?" She said in jest. "It has taken a while to see, but she makes you happy and that's all I want for you."

"Thank you, is there any way I can help with the investigation?"

"Just let me know if you hear from your brother."

***********

The needle was inserted into her right arm. Carly was trying to listen to the technician's instructions as she looked at the machine she was hooked up to. In order to cycle the blood through her she was supposed to help pump it out of her by squeezing and releasing her palm as long as the green light was on. The red light indicated it cycling back and she was free to relax. She would be going through about a half dozen cycles daily which estimated to take a couple of hours.

"Do I get to trade arms tomorrow?" Carly asked. "Or else this one is going to get super buff."

"Yes, we recommend it." The technician smiled. "You can put the TV on any channel. There is a DVD player, but our selection isn't very good."

"That's okay. I have what I need here." Carly said holding onto Jason's hand tightly.

"Press the button if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you."

Carly was happy that the room she was in looked more like a lab than a hospital room. She had enough of that the week before, and was not sure if she could handle the feeling of incapacity that it evoked. She sat on the lazy boy like chair pumping the blood as instructed keeping her mind focused on everything she wanted to do when she got home.

"I can't wait to take Britni clothes shopping. They make the cutest things for girls." Carly commented.

"You were saying that Jax brought her to the office yesterday?" Jason added to the conversation, which had been cut short when the tech arrived.

"Oh yeah, Britni was eating up being the center of attention. Who would have thought?" She teased.

"Not your daughter." He joked back.

"And Morgan loves having a little sister. He's being so good, and staying so strong." He knew that was because of Carly. Morgan adored her and wanted to do anything he could to make it easy for her. It also helped that Carly insisted that there was nothing to worry about. As far as they knew, her condition was improving. The bleeding had apparently stopped, which was good, but also indicated how strong the clotting factor was which meant it needed to be dealt with.

"Are you sure that Sonny is okay with all this time you are taking from work?"

"It wouldn't matter if he wasn't." Jason responded. "But yes, Johnny and Dante have picked up the slack. I still can't believe I'm trusting an ex-undercover agent."  
"Didn't he lose his job protecting Sonny?" Carly asked. Even when she was married to Sonny she was not in on all the knowledge of the inner workings of the business. While concerned with the blood condition Jason and Sonny were even more careful not to let her in on anything that would upset her. It was her friendship with Olivia that kept her updated. Olivia had been worried about her son's safety.

"Which is why he's still alive." Jason answered. "Although Sonny seems to have a soft spot for him."

"The same way you do for Spinelli?" Carly replied.

Jason chuckled. He was not entirely sure which was more annoying to the outside world. Spinelli had his childlike innocence mixed with techno-babble and Dante had his street smart rough edge and a mouth that didn't know when to shut it. "I suppose there are certain similarities."

Carly's arm was starting to throb, it was only another minute before she got to quit again. The conversation with Jason helped.

"How are you feeling?" Jason asked. Her face started to turn an unflattering shade of white.

"I'm okay." She nodded although she probably should have had a larger breakfast. The light turned red and she sunk back into the chair.

"Are you sure? I can see about getting you some orange juice or something." He tried thinking about what would be offered to somebody giving blood.

"If you insist." She answered thinking that they spike in her blood sugar level might help. He left the room to see what he could get. Carly let her eyelids slip briefly to take a couple deep breaths. 'One more time,' she told herself.

"Here." Jason said offering some juice. She took a few gulps and went back to work. "What do you want to do this afternoon?"

"I think I'm going to start with a nap." Carly confessed. She looked over to Jason who appeared terrified. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'll be fine?"

"About 2.3 dozen more." He joked, and then went serious. "I can't stand seeing you like this."

"I can't stand feeling like this, but it's temporary. I need you to be strong for me."

"I'm trying." He thought back to when he found her laying on the floor while pregnant with Michael and unconscious with a bullet in her head after giving birth to Morgan. He knew the strength she had to keep fighting.


	35. Chapter 35

Luke had called Lucky back as soon as he got the message with a contact number of Dale and Jessica Newman who lived five miles away from the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. He tried not giving Luke too much information, as he was afraid his dad might follow them out there. Lucky placed the call and achieved contact with Jessica who barely let him get a word edgewise. She was so excited to here from the Spencer's and reminisced about the last time Lucky was there as a little boy while speaking in her deep Southern drawl. She was happy to provide him with anything he needed, he told her about Jerry Jax and sent an email with his picture to see if any of the locals may have noticed him.

They had not heard from Spinelli when they booked the flight, but both were certain in Jerry's attempt to play the game of cat and mouse. "What did Spinelli say?" Lucky asked as she checked her email.

"He hacked into the credit card and as we thought Miami International to San Antonio International." Sam replied. She knew that was going to be the result but she had experience playing Jerry's games before and it never ended well.

"I would say I told you so, but I'm pretty sure all we are going to find is another note to the next location." Lucky added.

"If only we could figure out a way to get him to chase us." Sam said looking out the window at the sheet of clouds below her. "If there was something that he wanted that we could use against him."

"The problem with that is that he knows that we're not as twisted as he is. Even if we did find someone he cared enough about, that we had no personal attachment to, there's no way we would do anything to harm them." That was the problem with being the good guy, too many moral codes to follow, and even if he made the resolve to break them the only people Lucky knew Jerry to care about was his cousin's family. "He has absolutely no motivation to go to Port Charles right now. Not with an arrest warrant from the PCPD and a bounty on his head from Sonny Corinthos. He's only stringing us along because it's fun."

"Well don't you sound cynical? We have an entire community of people carrying guns out looking for Jerry right now. You can't tell me the bloke with the English accent isn't going to stand out just a tad."

Lucky smiled knowing she was right. One does not mess with Texas. He wasn't entirely sure if he understood Jerry's point of being there unless it was a rest point into Mexico.

"Please make sure all electronics are turned off and seatbelts are securely fastened as we approach our destination. That you again for flying SouthWest and we hope y'all enjoy your stay." They heard over the loud speaker.

"Do we have someone picking us up from the airport?" Sam asked.

"Kind of. Jessie offered to have her son pick us up but I asked that he meet us at the waffle house down the road a bit. Jerry has to know we're going to be there at some point and I don't want to put that family in danger."

"Do you think he'll attack at the airport?" Sam asked.

Lucky was hopeful an attack would not happen there, but they would probably be watched. "I doubt it, but we are unarmed." Even with checked luggage it would be near impossible to travel inconspicuously with a firearm, and they kept it to carry on only due to ease of mobility.

"Are you ready?" Sam asked as the jet landed. They got up and grabbed their bags. Both put on a hat and sunglasses. They knew it wasn't the best disguise but they did what they could to attempt to not stand out. Lucky certainly wasn't the only one wearing a cowboy hat in the terminal. His observational senses went into hyper drive as they attempted to maneuver their way through the crowd.

When they stepped outside he noticed two men in suites standing at the corner. One placed his hands on his hips exposing the gun he had hidden under his coat. Lucky postured himself in front of Sam, but the two men kept walking.

"It's Texas." Sam whispered.

"Let's go." He replied.

***********

"The mall, really?" Michael questioned as soon as the final bell rung, indicating their freedom. "Isn't that something you can do with Trish or Kat? I'm sure Lindsay would go with you."

"You said anything." Alyssa rebuked.

"I did, and if that's what you really want that's what we'll do."

"That's what I really want." She said and gave him a peck on the cheek. "There's a new CD coming out that I wanted to listen to, and I still need to pick up my mom's Christmas present."

"Oh, I should do that too, I have no idea what to give her, not with the mega gift she gave me."

"Really, what?"

"I didn't tell you yet?"

"No?" She asked puzzled.

"My great grandfather has a ski lodge in Vermont, and my mother arranged for me to have it over the New Year. I have permission to invite anyone I want."

Alyssa smiled. "Anyone?"

"Yes, anyone. You, of course, and Kevin, Trish, maybe Ryan and Tim."

"If you're inviting Tim then you should invite Kat, too."

"I can handle that."

"When do I get to meet your mom?" Alyssa blurted out she'd heard a lot about her.

"When I get to meet your parents." He countered, which somehow made her back down. She didn't really talk a lot about her parents. He figured it was possible that they weren't really an active part of her life. He looked to see her expression as she gazed out the window.

"I hate this hill." She said. The bottom of the hill ended in a stop sign and it was hard to see the through traffic approaching until hitting the intersection.

"Me too." Michael said trying to apply the break. His tire must have hit a patch of ice because the car wasn't slowing.

"Michael, slow down." She said as he approached the intersection.

"I can't!" He felt the convertible start to slip without enough friction from the road. As they came to the corner a black car drove out in front of them.

"Michael!" Alyssa screamed.

The front end of his car crumpled and the airbags both went off. Michael could feel the vehicles downhill momentum push the other car another fifty feet until both came to a halt stopping traffic in all directions. The airbags disrupted his forward vision. He was afraid to look up at the damage from the other car. Instead his gaze went to the passenger's seat.

"Alyssa." He said barely audible. She turned to him. "You're bleeding."

She had a cut above her right eyebrow. "I'm okay." She replied.

"Are you sure? Did you lose consciousness at all?" He asked concerned. They heard the sirens approaching.

She had recalled everything that had just happened. "No."

An EMT rushed to the driver's side door. The automatic lock prevented him from opening it. Michael broke his gaze at Alyssa to pull the handle and open it for him.

"How many injured?" The EMT asked.

"There's just two of us." Michael replied calmly. "My knee hit the dashboard, and she has a head wound."

"Okay, stay here. We'll bring a couple gurney's over."

"I'm fine, really." Alyssa objected. In a matter of moments someone was outside her door asking about soreness in her neck and head. Michael attempted to put weight on his leg. As he stood up he saw the driver of the other car being loaded on to the stretcher unconscious.

"Oh my God." He responded and sat back down.

***********

As soon as he got her back to the hotel Carly fell asleep. Jason laid her new quilt over her and went out for a walk. He didn't get far before his cell phone went off.

"Morgan, what's going on?" Jason asked the nine-year-old.

"I tried calling mom but she's not answering." He replied.

"She's resting, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to tell her about my trip to the science museum today. There were these tepees that we got to play in. Ashley, Ryker and I pretended that we were Native American's and used the tools that they had before the settlers came." Morgan continued about the different exhibits that they visited.

"That sounds great. Morgan, I'm getting a call on my other line. Can I have your mom call you when she wakes up?"

"Okay." Morgan replied and Jason switched over to the other line.

"Hello." Jason answered.

"Jason, there's been an accident." Sonny told him.

"What? Who? Wh… what kind of accident?" He asked going through all the possible scenarios in his head.

"Michael's car slid into Claudia's." He explained.

"Is Michael okay?" Jason asked. He barely paid attention after Michael's name was mentioned. He loved that boy as his own.

"Apparently yes, no major damage. I'm on my way to the hospital now. The nurse didn't give me much information besides that the passengers of both cars are being brought in. Claudia is unconscious, but both Michael and his girlfriend appeared to be okay."

Jason sighed in relief. "Do they know how it happened?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to let you and Carly know that Michael is fine." Sonny said still scared. He knew that Claudia and the baby were not high on Jason's list of concerns, but he hoped both were okay.

"Thank you. I'll tell her. I'm sorry about Claudia." He offered his support.

"Thanks, I'll keep you posted." He said before hanging up.

Jason went back to the room to see how Carly was doing. She was still passed out so he decided to sit down next to her and flip through the channels to see if anything looked interesting. He settled on an action flick. During a commercial he looked down on her. She had squirmed her way close to him with her arm once again draped over his midsection. He saw movement from under her eyelids and could only assume she was dreaming. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it wondering what she was dreaming about. As he set her arm back down, her peaceful sleep appeared disrupted.

"Carly." He gently shook her shoulder and she jolted awake. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." She replied. "Just something bad."

"Oh. I did get a phone call." Jason told her wondering if she was keying into her maternal instincts.

"From who?"

Jason tried to figure out how to phrase it with the least amount of worry. "He's fine, but Michael was in a car accident."

"What?!" She sat up.

"Carly, calm down. He's okay. I don't know any of the details but Sonny will keep us updated." He then told her about Claudia's state.

As much as Carly did not like Claudia she did wish her and the baby well. She knew the pain from losing a child and would never wish that on anybody. Hoping to cheer her up a bit Jason told her about Morgan's phone call. He could only assume that what Carly wanted was to hop on the first flight back to Port Charles and check on Michael herself, as that was what he wanted. Carly hoped that talking to Morgan would keep her distracted, which worked as he went on about his day completely unaware of his brother's accident.


	36. Chapter 36

Lucky and Sam walked down the street to the Waffle House. They were greeted by the hostess who happily pointed out the direction of the Newman boy.

"Caleb, good to see you again." Lucky greeted the man only a couple years younger than himself.

"The pleasure is mine. Ma and pa still talk about the adventures of Luke and Laura Spencer in these parts."

The history of his parents was legendary, almost that of fairytale, however Lucky found a lot of it was too hard to listen to. He could have lived happily without the knowledge of his father raping his mother. More recently was the knowledge that Luke had cheated on his mom with Holly Sutton and bore a child, his brother Ethan.

"Yeah well, we're on our own adventure now. Caleb, I would like to introduce you to Sam McCall."

"Howdy, are all the Yankee women as fine as this one? I may have to reconsider relocating." Caleb commented.

Sam smiled at the compliment. He fit the image of a football quarterback. "Was your mother able to upload the picture?" She asked.

"With some help. How bad is this bloke?"

"Diabolical." Lucky quickly answered. "But we need him alive."

"Why? He have info on someone worse?"

Neither knew how to respond. They were not entirely sure that Claudia was worse. She just happened to be more responsible in one particular case.

"Let's just say that the information he has can help exact justice for Luke Spencer's niece." Lucky answered, and that was enough.

"Okay, I have firearms in the truck, should we seek out the Alamo?" Caleb offered.

"I don't want you going." Lucky replied. "Let's go back to the house and drop you off. Sam and I can take the truck."

"Why?"

"We have no idea what we're walking into." Sam explained.

"Ain't that more of a reason for back up?"

"No, I'm not sacrificing you." Lucky insisted.

"But you'd be willing to risk the dame?" He pointed to Sam. "No offense."

"Only slightly taken." Sam replied knowing the values of the Southern gentleman.

"This isn't up for negotiation." Lucky decreed. Caleb backed down and drove back to the house. Jessica greeted them with home baked goods and sat them down. Dale came into the living room with a pitcher of ice tea to give the update.

"I have a friend working security down at the site. I send him the picture you gave, and nobody matching his description has been noticed."

"Thanks, make sure it gets dispersed and call me at this number if you hear anything." Lucky said writing down his cell number.

"Whereya offto?" Dale asked.

"The site." Sam answered.

"That pretty little thing goin' too?"

"Yeah." She said cocking the firearm he handed her. Dale pointed the direction out and Lucky drove. As they approached the Alamo Sam was awestruck.

"Not what you expected?" Lucky gathered.

"No, I assumed we would be walking in ruins."

"We may be when this is through." Nothing about the situation made him comfortable. He knew it was a trap. Lucky surveyed the tourist flooding through and hoped that they could keep them from being collateral damage.

Sam opened the door and got out, Lucky followed suit. He kept his gun handy not knowing who may be standing guard to start shooting. Lucky went in first, nothing appeared suspicious so he waved Sam in. They walked through the halls and into the open courtyard.

"Over here." Sam said pointing to a loose brick with a piece of paper sticking out from under it.

"Stand back." Lucky urged. He tried holding the brick in place as he tore the paper out. Unfortunately the brick lifted causing the pressure sensor to go off. An explosion caused Lucky to fall back against the concrete.

"Lucky!" Sam ran to his aide.

***********

"How does it look?" Michael asked Robin who had just finished wrapping his knee with ice.

"The x-ray looks normal. As far as I can tell it's just a bad bruise." Dr. Robin Drake answered. This was what Michael assumed.

"Does that mean I'm free to go?" Michael asked.

"I want you to keep ice on it and stay off of it, but yes, you are free to go."

"Thanks." Michael said jumping off the bed and limped to Alyssa's room. Dr. Hunter had finished sewing a couple stitches in her forehead and was just applying the gauze and tape when Michael stepped in.

"Is she going to make it?" Michael asked the doctor.

"Yeah, I think that's safe to say." Dr. Hunter replied.

"Not even a concussion." She replied. "Are they letting you out of here too?"

"Yes, but I'm probably going to stick around to see how my step-mom is doing." He answered. Then looked over to Matt. "Have you heard anything?"

"No. Dr. Lee was checking her and the baby out. They would be on the fourth floor." As that was said a man and woman approached Alyssa's room.

"How's my baby?" Mrs. Johnson asked walking right by Michael.

"What happened?" Her father asked.

"It was an accident, dad. Michael's tires slipped on the ice as we were going down hill." She explained.

"This must be the boy you've been telling us about, Michael?"

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Johnson." Michael said extended his hand.

"You can call me Ellen, and this is my husband Lieutenant Daniel Johnson of the PCPD." He then extended his hand out his direction.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Michael asked as Sonny approached the entry.

"Robin said that she thought you might be here." He explained. Both of Alyssa's parents looked at the mobster standing behind him.

Ellen then turned back to her daughter, noticeably upset. "I thought you said he was a Quartermaine."

Michael's jaw dropped as he realized what was going on.

"He is, mom." Alyssa cried.

"I told you to stay away from the Corinthos boy." Her dad reminded her.

"Excuse me." Sonny tried cutting in as he noticed the look of horror on both of the teens faces.

"No, I don't want to hear anything from you." The lieutenant responded. "Let's take our daughter home."

"Alyssa?" Michael questioned.

"I'm sorry Michael."

"Wait, it's that Michael?" Ellen asked connecting the dots from her husband's prior cases. "The Michael that spent a year in a coma because his gangster father protected his floozy from the bullet aimed at him?"

"What?!" Michael exclaimed unaware of that particular detail.

He got up to limp away. He was not sure what he might do if he stayed. Sonny followed. He sat down as soon as he found a bench.

"Tell me it's not true." He said realizing that he was about to lose the first girl he really liked because of his father's business.

"I wish I could." Sonny replied.

"Just… go be with your wife." Michael said disgusted. He did not want to be near Sonny at that moment. Not after finding out that the person who claimed to be his father protected Kate Howard over him.

***********

Johnny rushed to the hospital as soon as he got the phone call to be at his sister's side. He went directly to the forth floor and was stopped outside Claudia's room by Elizabeth Webber.

"How is she?" He asked.

"She's stable."

"What does that mean?"

"She suffered a concussion. She'll be okay, but Dr. Drake wanted to induce a coma for a couple of hours to make sure that the swelling goes down." Liz explained.

"And the baby?"

"Dr. Lee has her hooked up to a fetal heart monitor. Unfortunately the heartbeat has been progressively declining since she's been admitted."

"Meaning?" Johnny asked again.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't look good." As a nurse Liz wasn't at liberty to give a diagnosis, but she had enough experience with miscarriages to know what was happening.

Tears swelled up under his eyes. He hadn't realized just how attached to his niece he had become. "Where's Sonny?"

"He stopped by to sign the paperwork, and then went to check on Michael."

"How's Michael?" Johnny asked. He had been briefed previously on the cause of the accident.

"He's been checked out already."

"Good." Michael had been through enough that he could not hold a grudge against him for something that was a complete accident. "Can I sit with her?"

"Yes, but let her rest." Liz advised.

Johnny walked into the room to listen to all the machines buzzing. His gazed fixated on the fetal monitor. He knew that it was going to devastate her if she had to watch the heart stop. He did not want to think about what would happen next, when the secret came out. Would Sonny be the monster he suspected and harm Claudia after this, or would Claudia welcome her own death after losing something so precious to her?

He saw Sonny approaching and stepped outside the room. "I know." Sonny said before Johnny could tell him anything.

"What do you plan on doing? Are you going to leave her now that you have an out?"

"John, I never wanted this to happen." Sonny claimed. He was still reeling from what had happened upstairs. "I know what it is like to grieve a child, and I'm not going to let Claudia go through that alone."

"Don't do her any favors. If you want out, leave now. She wouldn't want you sticking around until she appears to be okay just for you to dump her for your next conquest."

"I'm not leaving."

"You better mean that." Johnny challenged.


	37. Chapter 37

"Lucky, look at me!" Sam insisted.

His gaze met hers. It felt like the wind had been completely knocked out of him. He couldn't tell yet if anything felt hurt or broken. Another guest at the Alamo came running over insisting he was a doctor and offered to call 9-1-1.

"No." Lucky objected. "No hospitals, no drugs. I'm fine."

"Can you help me bring him to the truck?" Sam asked the man.

"Are you sure?"

"Please." Lucky replied trying to sit himself back up. He grabbed a hand from each person and hoisted himself to a standing position and hung his weight over the friendly stranger as they made their way back to the vehicle. He sat in the passenger's seat attempting to get his breathing back to normal. Sam waited to make sure he was going to be okay before putting the truck into first gear and driving off. They were met at the house by Dale and Caleb who helped Lucky into the guest bedroom. Sam sat beside him and he handed the letter to her.

"_Hola amigos,_

_I waited around but apparently our wires were crossed. I feel horrible that I missed your company once again. I hope you had a blast in San Antonio! God, I crack myself up sometimes. If you both are in one piece I extend an invitation to the museo de arte contemporaneo en Monterrey, Mexico a la sexto hora, manana. _

_Hasta lluego, JJ."_

"Are you going to be okay?" Sam asked as she finished reading the letter.

Lucky nodded yes. "The explosion was small enough. All it seemed to do was knock the wind out. Lets take it easy tonight and drive down tomorrow, it's only about a four and a half hour drive from here to Monterrey."

"We're not following him." Sam replied.

"If you don't want to I understand, but I am not going back to Port Charles without him." Lucky declared.

"We can't win when we are playing his game. Next time things could end a whole lot worse." She said hoping to talk some sense into him.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Besides having the SWAT team outside the museum tomorrow?" Sam asked.

"Huh?" Lucky thought about her suggestion.

"I was kidding."

"Yeah, but what if we do get outside help? He's telling us exactly when and where he's going to be. What if we start a steak out early, as soon as he shows up we call the local authorities about a burglary in play? He would at least get detained and his prints run."

"And they will find the arrest warrant from Port Charles and transfer him back to the US." Sam finished.

"It could work."

"Or go horribly wrong." Sam replied but she was not going to let him go through it by himself. The fear she felt of losing him still lingered. "But I suppose we'll only know if we try."

She laid down next to him. Lucky kissed the top of her head. She looked up to meet her lips with his. He didn't want to examine what it meant; instead he let the moment take him wherever it wanted.

***********

"What did Sonny say?" Carly asked as Jason plugged his phone back into charger.

"Michael has been released. He banged up his knee a bit and his car was totaled. He was going to the mall with Alyssa and ran into a slick spot on Leymens Bluff. Alyssa is fine and has been signed out as well."

"I knew that car wasn't safe." Carly commented. "I'm just happy they are both okay. How about Claudia?"

"The doctor's say that she's going to make a full recovery, but the baby is not."

Carly gave a grimace.

"You okay?" Jason asked.

"I've been there. It's horrible. Jase, have I thanked you yet for saving Britni?"

"Yeah, you did by waking up." He wasn't sure if he could have lived with the guilt he would have had if she hadn't.

Carly reached out to give him a hug. "Then thank you again for believing in me." She whispered into his ear. 'Always,' he thought. He didn't want to let go, but was also afraid that if he did not he might do something he would regret.

"What's the plan tonight?" He asked as he released his grip.

"I don't know, with the equestrian convention in town I thought maybe we could take advantage and go horseback riding." He said holding up flyers.

"You're kidding, right?" He laughed.

"No. I mean it. This is the closest thing I've had to a vacation in awhile and I want to take advantage of it, you know, do things I normally wouldn't in PC."

Jason threw his arms up. "Your wish is my command. Are you sure you have the energy for it?"

"I think I can handle being the rider, now if you were asking me to be the horse it would probably be an issue."

"Okay." He smiled.

Jason drove her down to the stables. It wasn't quite like riding his motorcycle, but once they were comfortable enough to take the mares to a canter he felt invigorated by the wind in his hair, and couldn't believe how smooth the ride was. He looked over to Carly as she basked in the fresh air. The setting sun added a radiant shine to her golden hair, but he was caught entranced in her smile. This was just like her, spontaneous and completely random; he loved how she could truly appreciate the simple pleasures that life offered.

"Why don't we get you some food?" Jason suggested at the end of the trail.

Carly playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

"Doctor's orders." He reminded her. "Besides Britni's been out of you for a week and I swear you've already lost all of your baby weight."

"What? I'm just looking to beat Angelina Jolie's record." She teased, but he did not appear to be amused. Instead she offered the ordering of pizza and movie that he suggested the previous night.

***********

"Thank you so much for picking me up." Michael said as he hobbled into Dante's car.

"No problem, what's up?" Dante asked.

"Bad day." Michael replied.

"Well, I can see that." Dante said looking at the bandaged appendage. "Care to elaborate?"

"You know those country songs where the guy loses the truck, dog, girl, and house all in the same day?"

"I'm more of a Maiden fan myself, but I think I grasp the concept." He said steering his way out of the emergency room exit. "By the way, where am I taking you?"

"Jakes?" Michael suggested figuring it was a long shot.

"No, but if you want a beer we can swing by my place. Just don't tell your father. I can see him killing the both of us."

"Agreed." Michael wasn't planning on talking much to his father anyway. They pulled up to Dante's building and took the elevator to his loft. Michael recognized it as the same place his Aunt Courtney used to live. "I like what you've done with the place."

His stuff was still scattered about in boxes. He hadn't figured he would need a permanent residence when he showed his face in Port Charles. "You, sit." Dante instructed.

Michael did as he was told and plopped down on the leather sofa and placed a pillow under his knee to prop it up then unwrapped the bandage. Dante came in from the kitchen and handed him a beer and fresh ice pack.

"What did you lose in your country song?"

"The car, girl, and faith in my dad."

"Owe." He responded before sitting down himself. "So, where do we start? The car is replaceable. What happened with the girl?"

"She lied to her parents about who I was so they wouldn't forbid her to see me."

"You mean the mobster's son?" Dante understood. "Course you have a dad."

"Right now I wish I didn't."

"You don't mean that. I mean, no offense to my ma, she did what she could, and I love her for that, but it would have been nice calling someone dad."

"You missed out on that male bonding?"

"Nah, I had plenty of that with uncles and cousins. We went to the Yankee games and what not, but it didn't matter who she was seein', she always kept them at arms length from me."

Michael laughed as he took another gulp. "Well, there's always Johnny Zacchara. You can call him dad."

"Ha, you're funny. So what did Sonny do this time?"

Michael shook his head trying to figure out how to put it into words. "It's not so much what he did. I just saw a side of him today that I was too blind to see existed. I thought he could do no wrong. You know what's funny? I lost a year of my life because my dad brought me to his warehouse without guards and when I woke up I said 'no problem dad, I forgive you.' He kept saying it was his fault and I pushed it aside as that's how the business works."

"That's pretty twisted." Dante commented.

"Thanks. Today I come to find out that he saw the shot coming and he let me stand there as he pushed Kate Howard out of the way." Michael added and then realized the familial ties. "Sorry, I don't mean to insinuate anything about your cousin."

"No, its okay, I mean I barely know Kate or Connie. It was a ricochet though, right?"

"Yeah. That wouldn't have stopped my mom though. She would have dived out in front of me and taken the bullet herself. I was horrible to her when I woke up. I don't know why it was always so easy for me to see her faults and not my dads."

"Sometimes it's easier to fault the person that you know will stand by you no matter what. Your mom is your mom and nothing changes that. She'll be there and defend you to the death if that's what it comes down to."

He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol talking but he responded. "I guess I had so many father figures that subconsciously I needed to hang on to the image I had of my dad to keep him."

"What do you mean?"

"Before I was born there was Tony Jones, and then Jason claimed me, but A.J. Quartermaine was my biological father. Sonny adopted me when I was young and is the only father I've really known, but then there have been the step-fathers."

"Jax and?"

"Lorenzo Alcazar was married to my mother for a brief time."

"I can see where fault in your ma came in." He joked, maybe it was better that Olivia kept the men in her life away.

"I just don't understand if he understands everything the business costs the people around him why he chooses to stay in it?"

"He can't get out." Dante answered. "Even if there was a way for Corinthos-Morgan enterprises to go legit during his reign without his enemies making it dangerous, Sonny craves the power and intimidation he gets through his mob ties."

"What do you mean by that? Do you think it could go legit?"

"I've looked into it. He has built some stable businesses. Yeah, I think you could take out the illegal smuggling and money laundering and still make out well." Dante answered.

"Why look into it?"

"I'm not proud of myself for switching sides, unfortunately sometimes the line between black and white gets smudged. Hey, you want another beer?"

Michael nodded, he was so wrapped up in conversation that he hadn't realized he was out.

"My downfall was the day I met a little boy, his pregnant flashlight swinging mother, and over zealous teenage brother in the woods." He said coming out of the kitchen area. "I should have ran out of town right then, but unfortunately what happened was that I ended up showing sympathy for the family of the man I was trying to bring down."

"Morgan can warm any heart, can't he?"  
"Yeah, how's he doing?"

"Good, now that mom's okay."

Conversation continued between the two. Dante invited Michael to sleep over, which he accepted after calling Monica to tell her where he was. Michael told Dante more about Alyssa, and then compared stories of over protective mothers. Dante laughed as Michael told the story of Carly taking on the five-families with a baseball bat.

**********

Sonny walked by Johnny to sit in the room with his wife. He wasn't entirely sure what he felt for her, but it wasn't the hatred he felt when he learned she was a Zacchara, or the furry he had when he suspected she was responsible for shooting Kate and kidnapping his son. It sure wasn't disdain like when he was told that in order to acquire the Zacchara organization he had to marry her or the contempt he felt when he thought the baby she was carrying was his brother's. The last few months he saw another side of her. Her maternal instincts were rearing, and he was starting to enjoy the idea of raising their daughter together. Neither one of them were perfect, he had said and done things just as repulsive as her to him. Somewhere, somehow, he had come out of this with a respect for her.

The baby's heartbeat was fading. He had asked the doctor to take it out hoping that it could save its life but Dr. Lee stood by the diagnosis that the damage was too severe. An operation to remove the fetus would be done once Claudia was stable and if both wanted the fetus would be prepared for burial. Sonny bowed his head for a silent prayer, he asked God to welcome his girl with open arms and let her light shine down to comfort her parents in their time of grief. He asked that the sins committed by her parents be forgiven so that they could show each other the support they needed in order to get through this time. He wrapped up his prayer and the monitor flat-lined. Sonny crouched over and wept.

Johnny stood directly outside the room with tears falling down his cheek. Olivia came up from behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The knot in his throat was too big to speak, but he knew he didn't have to. Dr Lee came up and walked past Johnny. "It's time." She told Sonny. Moments later Claudia was transferred to a mobile bed to be brought into surgery.


	38. Chapter 38

Carly woke up feeling light-headed. She had taken a call from Jax on the ride home from the stables and fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed. Jason had a couple pieces of pizza by himself and curled up next to her. He watched her open her eyes, but she struggled with the strength to lift her head.

"Carly, I ordered you an omelet and juice. Please, for me?" He begged as he helped her to a sitting position.

She was running on empty and knew it. "Anything for you." She replied. The omelet was filled with ham and cheese, just how she typically liked it, no veggies to speak of. With it was a couple pieces of whole grain toast for carbohydrates and a glass of orange juice. She couldn't understand why she struggled taking every bite, except everything she put in her mouth appeared to be tasteless and most of the time the mere mention of food made her stomach flip.

"Are you having breakfast?" She asked as Jason watched her take each bite.

"Already did." He had woken up several hours earlier. "Don't tell me you are done?"

"I'm going to shower and then I'll try some more." She offered. At least what she had eaten seemed to provide her with some energy.

"I guess. Do you need some help?" He asked; she still appeared shaky as she stood.

"No, I'm okay." When she got into the bathroom she dropped her nightgown that she didn't recall changing into and adjusted the water to the perfect temperature before stepping in. She had permission from Dr. Drake to remove the bandage completely that day. Her stitches had dissolved and she was left with a fuzzy patch that was luckily covered by the rest of her hair that draped over.

As the water fell down she let herself imagine she was on the island where she was happy and healthy. She was getting ready for an evening of dancing and candlelit dinner under the stars. A dress had been picked out for her, and was lying on the bed as she finished freshening up and next to it was a small box which she opened to find a diamond bracelet. After slipping into the gown she walked to the door and was greeted by a bouquet of tropical flowers. She looked up to see the face of the man in the tux… Jason? 'No,' she thought and attempted to put her husband in his place. Failing horribly she stepped out of the shower to dry herself off.

"Hey, is everything all right?" Jason asked looking at the time. They only had half an hour to get to the clinic.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a second." She said as she was brushing her teeth. He turned around as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a blouse; then she slipped on a belt.

"Three more bites." He bartered with her.

"Fine." She smiled and took the fork and stabbed it into the eggs.

**********

Claudia held onto Sonny's hand crying. The baby she had growing inside of her for eight months was gone, and she felt empty. All the good parts of her had been ripped out and she couldn't understand what it had done to deserve this. Her, yes sure, but her daughter was completely innocent.

"What are you doing here?" Claudia cried; her lip still quivering.

"You are not in this alone."

Now he was finally standing up, Claudia thought. She had been begging for his undivided attention since before the baby was conceived and now he wanted to act like the devoted husband. She was pissed at him, pissed at herself, and pissed at God for letting this happen. "Just go!"

"I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. Claudia, you didn't deserve that."

"Yes I did." She didn't care anymore. She didn't care if he hurt her or killed her, hell, she was begging for it. "You were right all along. It was me. I hired him." She tried to keep going but couldn't stop crying.

"I know what you are doing." Sonny replied. He was notorious for pushing people away as he got drunk on his own guilt.

"No really. I hired Devlin, and I used Carly as my alibi." She said hoping to really drive in the point, but her words were broken up. "Carly was looking into the eyes of the person responsible when she got the call that her son had been shot."

"You don't know what you're saying." He said denying what he was hearing.

Somehow a laugh mixed in with her tears. "Are you that dense? Jerry had discs all over your house implicating me. Why else did it look like I was checking out every corner of the place when I thought I was alone?"

He recalled the suspicious behavior. She had covered up by saying that she was interested in redecorating.

"After Ric found out I knew my time was closing in on me." She explained; tears were still streaming down her face. "I poked holes in the condoms. I tried to get pregnant because I thought it was the only way to protect myself if you found out."

Sonny stared at her silently as his eyes glazed over. He tried to process everything, but he knew on some level that he had already known. The pieces of the puzzle were already there and put together. He thought he needed proof, but her confession didn't seem to change anything.

**********

"How's the knee doing?" Dante asked as he handed Michael a cup from Starbucks.

"Stiff, but the swelling has gone down." He answered.

"I called your school pretending to be your dad."

"Thanks."

"No prob. I thought you could use the day off. Besides I got a call from my ma late last night from the hospital."

"Oh God." Michael had tried pushing the guilt he was feeling away as he was dealing with his own pain, but he knew if anything happened to Claudia or the baby it would be his fault.

"The baby died." Dante announced not sure if there was any easy way of putting it.

Michael hung his head down as he felt a knot forming in his throat.

"It was an accident." Dante tried comforting him. "Just like the ricochet bullet was. You can't blame yourself."

"She was my sister."

"Johnny and Sonny are setting up a small memorial service for her tomorrow. I can take you if you would like."

"I doubt Claudia wants to see me right now."

"It's probably going to take her a while to get through this, if ever. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't seek your own closure."

He wasn't sure what that would entail. He was still upset at his dad, but he never meant to hurt his child, the baby that he had no memories of, and now never would. "I should have had my tires checked." He finally said.

"It was the first snowfall of the season, and an early one at that. You couldn't have known."

"Last week, I could have…"

"Last week your mom almost died. Michael, stop, I mean it. Nobody is blaming you. It's a stupid intersection where the stop signs should be in the other direction. It was an accident waiting to happen."

He knew Dante was right, but it didn't stop him from hurting. "Okay, I get it. Do you think you can bring me over to my mom's?"

"Sure, but I thought she was out of town."

"She is, but I think I should tell Morgan and I'd really like to see Britni." The loss of Sonny and Claudia's daughter ignited feelings for his baby sister. He remembered his resentment when Jason saved her; he would have sacrificed her to save his mother, but now he couldn't imagine this world without her.

"If we're going to get there before Morgan goes to school we need to leave now." Dante instructed. Michael grabbed his coat and raced through the hallway, his knee was definitely doing a lot better.

Jax was just about to take off with his step son when the doorbell rang. "Michael, come in. Dante?" He invited them both.

"Michael." Morgan threw his arms around his brother. "Jax told me about the accident. I'm so glad you're okay."

Jax found out about the accident during his conversation with Carly. It was just like Sonny to leave him out of it.

"Yeah, did Jax tell you about Claudia's baby?" Michael asked.

"No." Morgan answered, but saw the serious look on his brother's face.

"Our sister didn't make it."

Morgan looked to Michael, Dante, and Jax not knowing how to react. He felt bad for his dad and Claudia because he knew how much they loved her, but he didn't feel the connection to their baby the same way he did with Britni. "I'm sorry."

"Morgan, you don't have anything to apologize for." Michael responded.

"But I am. I haven't been nice to Claudia or her baby, and all my prayers were for you, mom, or Britni."

Jax held Morgan as he realized what his step-son was thinking. He had been through so much since Michael's shooting, and he put it all on himself to fix and make better. "That's okay, Morgan, its okay."

"Hey Morgan, can you show me to your room?" Dante asked. He saw the eye contact between Michael and Jax.

"I'm sorry, Jax." Michael apologized. "I didn't know. I didn't mean to upset him before school."

"No, I think it's good that you were the one to tell him. He'll be okay, he's resilient."

"Like mom. How's she doing?" He asked figuring he was probably talking to her daily.

"Truthfully? She sounds tired, but claims everything is okay."

"She's resilient." He echoed.

"Thanks, are you staying?" Jax asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to see Britni."

"She's in the nursery with your grandmother. If you want to hang out here for awhile I was going to drop off Morgan and swing over to the hotel to take care of some things, but we can go car shopping this afternoon."

"Okay, yeah, thanks."

***********

On the ride down to Mexico Sam sat in the passenger's seat attempting to mentally prepare for their evening. Besides a few bruises Lucky was fine, he knew he made out easy and they weren't going to get many chances. They had to turn things around to their favor.

"I got to hand it to Jerry. He sure knows how to show a girl a good time." Sam teased. First there was the casino, then the Alamo and now off to the museum of modern art.

"You know, you don't have to do this. I know that you would just assume put in bullet in Jerry's heart and be done with it."

"Unless the bullet was silver I doubt it'd do much damage." Sam replied. "Besides this was my case, remember?"

"That's right. How was I the one blown up?" Lucky joked.

"You were the one that pushed me out of the way, you Goddamn hero."

"Yeah well, call me protective, but I don't want to see anything happen to you." He gave his dazzling smile, which melted her fear.

"Lucky." She said turning the conversation more serious. "If this goes wrong, promise me that you'll save yourself."

"What are you talking about? I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"I'm a big girl who has looked out for herself for a long time, and I've even managed to do a pretty good job of it. Don't worry about me."

"I definitely can't promise not to worry." Lucky added. "But if we're playing the martyr game then it goes both ways, don't risk yourself to save me."

"Is this it?" She asked as he pulled up to the museum.

They took a moment to appreciate the modern Mexican architecture then went inside to steak the place out. Lucky wanted to find the areas of best visibility of each escape. He was enjoying the collections in the entry area when Sam came back from scouting access from the upstairs and checking out the security system.

"What did you find?" Sam asked.

"Besides the main entrance there's a fire escape on the East end that is locked from the outside except with an employee key card." Lucky explained.

"The security in the place is pretty tight, but more directed towards the collections. Still I'm going to have Spinelli hack into the camera's and keep look-out for us." Sam added. "I think it's best if I take the East end and you cover the main entry."

"Whoa, what?" Lucky said caught off guard. "We're not splitting up. Last time that happened you ended up with a gun pointed at your head."

"In order for the plan to work we need to spot Jerry before he sees us. The only way for that to happen is to cover both points of entry. He has had a day on us, you can't tell me he hasn't figured out a way into the East side."

Lucky agreed as long as they could use Spinelli as a contact point. Each of them would be connected to his through their blue tooth and once Jerry was spotted he would make the phone call to the Mexican authorities. Sam thought it sounded reasonable. They went to the nearby diner for a late lunch, Sam stayed in the vehicle to relay the plan to Spinelli as Lucky got them a seat.


	39. Chapter 39

After Carly's session Dr. Rowan came in with the results of her most recent blood test.

"Good afternoon. Can I have a moment?" Dr. Rowan asked.

"Absolutely, what's going on?" Carly asked half dazed, the session was starting to wear on her.

"I know it's early yet, but the tests on the clotting agents are looking better. There's still a few more adjustments that we need to make but I'm optimistic by Saturday we should be seeing what we want to."

"That's good." Jason replied.

"Yes, but Carly your blood sugar levels are dangerously low." Dr. Rowan warned.

"What can we do about that?" Jason asked.

"I want you to keep a food journal so we can get a calorie count from you."

"I swear I'm doing what I can." Carly replied feeling nauseous.

"I understand that, but we're putting your body through the ringer here and you need that energy."

She nodded, not sure how else to respond.

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow."

Carly followed Jason to the car and laid back against the head rest trying to keep the world from spinning. Jason watched as she took a few deep breaths.

"Carly?"

She flagged him to keep going. He drove her to the hotel. As soon as she walked into the room she collapsed unto the bathroom tiles and emptied what little she had in her stomach. Jason rushed in and held her. She was trembling in his arms, and trying to keep herself from crying.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." He said rubbing her back. He brought the back of his palm to her forehead to check her temperature. She did not feel hot but her skin was clammy. "Carly, I'm going to get you some water."

She transferred her weight back over the toilet and purged again. Her stomach and throat felt like they were burning and her vision went black and white.

"Come on, drink." Jason instructed pouring the water into her mouth. It took Carly everything she had to swallow without spitting it out again. "Shh…" He said rocking her as he had one arm around her back and the other used to support her head to his chest. He felt as her energy drained and she went limp, and then he carried her over to the bed.

Jason picked up his phone and dialed. "Mom, I don't know what to do?" He cried.

"Jase, what's wrong?" Monica answered.

"I don't know where to start."

"I've been in contact with Dr. Rowan. I know the procedure they are doing and the possible side effects. Jase, how is she?"

"She's barely eating and the doctor said her blood sugar levels are low. When I brought her back she got really sick and passed out." He said still shaking himself. It was not like him to panic, typically during the most stressful of situations he was most calm.

"Is she running a temperature?" Monica asked.

"I don't think so."

"Is she sweating?"

"No, but she's clammy to the touch."

"Okay, the good news is that I don't believe it's a virus. The bad news is that she is severely dehydrated."

"What do I do?"

"If you can get her to drink a bottle of water I'd recommend doing that. Then go out and get some Gatorade to bring up her electrolyte levels. I'd also suggest picking up a couple protein shakes to help raise her blood sugar level and give her some calories."

"And if I can't get her to drink?"

"Call 9-1-1 and bring her to the closest hospital. They will put her on a saline IV."

"Okay."

"Jason, call me if you need anything else."

"Thank you." He said before hanging up.

He took another bottle of water out of the refrigerator and sat down next to her on the bed. Then lifted her upper body and attempted to pour the water into her mouth hoping that her reaction would be to swallow. Instead it dripped out. Following his mother's advice he called for an emergency vehicle.

"In here." He directed as the EMTs approached the second floor.

"How long as she been unconscious?" The male asked.

"About fifteen minutes. She has been receiving treatments for a blood condition at Eastview Clinic in Georgetown. She hasn't been eating much and I'm pretty sure she's suffering from dehydration." Jason answered.

"Are you coming with?" The female asked as she was loaded onto the stretcher.

Jason nodded and followed.

As he walked into the emergency room he was greeted with paperwork. He sat in the lobby to fill it out, passing the time until he could see her. After turning it in, he closed his eyes and counted to ten just as he had instructed her to do so many times before. He felt his cell phone go odd and looked down to see Michael's number appear on the screen.

"Hello?" Jason answered.

"Hi Jason, is my mom around? I tried her number already."

"Ah, no. She's taking a nap."

"Yeah, Jax mentioned that she has been sounding tired. How is everything going?"

"It's fine. How are you? I heard about the accident."

"I'm doing okay. That's actually why I called. I needed to talk to mom about a couple of things and thought she would be less freaked out if she heard my voice."

"I'm sure you're right. I'll let her know as soon as she wakes up."

"Mr. Morgan." A nurse approached him. "The doctor will be right out to speak with you."

"What doctor?" Michael asked hearing the nurse in the background. "Jason, where are you, is mom okay?"

Jason hated lying to Michael.

"Jason?" He heard Michael getting more upset.

"Yeah, we're at the clinic. She just finished her treatment and was getting drowsy. She's fine, Michael."

"Okay, have her call me."

"I will." He knew the blind faith came from the fact that he made it a general rule not to lie. Somehow Carly could get him to do anything and convince him it was for the best.

"Mr. Morgan, I'm Dr. Ladler, you are here with Mrs. Jax, correct?"

"Correct, how is she?"

"She's going to be okay. We have her hooked up to saline to help with the dehydration, and we'd like to see her eat a meal before we release her."

"Her appetite has been non-existent."

"We're going to try another drug to control her blood pressure and see if that helps." The doctor responded.  
"Can I see her?" Jason asked.

"Yes, she's a little out of it." He warned and pointed out the direction of her room. Jason walked in, her eyelids were gently pressed shut.

"Carly?" Jason held her hand.

She opened her eyes and stared at him briefly. "You have to be the most beautiful man on the planet."

He smiled. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"I must be the luckiest woman… You should keep smiling."

"I will, as soon as I know that you're okay."

"Do I tell you that I love you enough?" She asked before falling back asleep.

"Not nearly." He replied as her grip loosened.

**********

"Jax, thanks again for helping me pick out the new vehicle." Michael said. They had just gotten back to the house after picking Morgan up from school. Morgan ran directly to the play room to work on the next level of his video game.

"You're welcome, now hopefully soon you will have the courage to drive it." Jax replied. When Michael was behind the wheel at the dealership he froze. Images of the crash flooded back and couldn't help but picture the sister that he lost; a little baby girl with dark hair and penetrating brown eyes.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to turn into mom." Carly had witnessed a fatal car accident as a teen and it took ages for her to build up the courage to drive without completely flipping out. She was still on edge whenever she was behind the wheel.

"What did you get?" Bobbie asked as she came down the stairs with the baby.

"A 2010 Escape Hybrid, 4-wheel drive and fuel efficient." Michael boasted and then turned his attention toward his sister. "Hi Brit!"

"Here, hold her. Have either of you talked to Carly today?" Bobbie asked.

"No, I tried, but Jason said that she was sleeping, why?" Michael responded.

"I called but didn't get an answer, but I'm sure Jason would let us know if there was an issue."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Jax added. He tried not thinking about what was going on in South Carolina, he kept imagining, and it was never good. As conversation moved away from Carly, they heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it." Jax announced and ran towards the door. "Hi, Alyssa right?"

"Yes, Mr. Jax. Is Michael here? I called the Quartermaine's and they thought he might be here."

"Yeah, he's in the other room. Come on in."

Alyssa stood in the doorway. She still had the bandage over her eyebrow but looked as perfect as ever. Michael was shocked to see her. He assumed that after yesterday she would run the opposite direction if she saw him approaching in the halls at school.

"Hi Alyssa. You've met my step-dad. This is my grandma Bobbie, and my little sister, Britni."

"She's adorable." Alyssa said coming closer. "I missed you at school today. How's your knee?"

"It's fine." He replied. "Hey Jax, do you mind if we go up to my room?"

Jax could tell by the awkwardness that the two had issues to discuss. "Sure, I can take my daughter."

Michael set her in his arms and directed Alyssa towards his room. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I wanted to explain."

"You really don't have to. I figured it out."

"Okay, yes. I lied to my parents. I like you, Michael, and I don't care who your father is, but they do. Technically you are a Quartermaine."

"Yes, biologically I am related to the Quartermaine's, and I've gotten to know them a lot better since moving in with them, but Sonny Corinthos is my father and it doesn't matter how pissed I am at him. Nothing is going to change that."

"Michael, he's a gangster that got you shot!"

He understood how she could see it that way, especially with her father telling her stories. "And that Quartermaine that donated his sperm kidnapped me and my siblings, and then made all the people that raised me believe I was dead as he tricked me into thinking that nobody cared I was missing."

"Oh my God, I had no idea."

"There's no way that you could, but if you can't accept me for who I am…"

"I can." She replied and then leaned in to kiss him, there lips met briefly but Michael pulled back.

"I can't ask you to go against your parents. They'll find a way, whether it's refusing to pay for college, or putting bars on your windows."

"It won't matter." She replied.

"It will, eventually it will." He said. "I can show you to the door."

*********

"John, can you do me a favor?" Claudia asked. She had just gotten back from her cat-scan, and her brother was waiting for her in her room.

"Sure, anything." He answered.

"Can you take me to Italy tomorrow after the memorial service?"

"What did Sonny do now?" He asked wondering how long it would take his brother-in-law to drop her.

"It's not what Sonny did, it's me. I told him."

"What?! Why on earth?"

"I had just woken up and my baby was gone…" She started crying again. "He… he was so understanding and I snapped. I wanted to hurt him, and I wanted him to hurt me, and so I told him."

Johnny cupped his palm over her mouth and sighed. "How did he take it?"

"I don't know. He didn't say anything for awhile; he just sat there until Dr. Drake came to run some tests. He left; he said something about calling Holy Angel's Church."

"That's where he wanted to hold the service." Johnny replied. Late the prior night the two men put their differences aside to plan the memorial, hoping to take as much stress off of Claudia as they could. "Did he seem upset?"

"He was upset about the baby, but almost too calm about my confession."

"Yeah, I'll take you wherever you want. I'll do anything to help you get through this, but maybe Sonny isn't the pig I thought he was. You know, maybe you should talk, and see if he'll take you away for a while. It might be good for the both of you."

Claudia laughed. "Are you sure? I might not make it back."

"And here I thought you didn't care if he killed you."

"And I thought you did." She smiled back. She knew if Johnny really thought Sonny was a threat he'd never recommend running away with him.

"Am I interrupting?" Sonny asked approaching the door.

"I didn't expect to see you." Claudia replied.

"Your tests have been checked out, and you've been cleared to go home." He told her.

"Home?" She asked not sure where that was now.

"Unless you want to have another meal here. I can take you back to the house."

"Okay. If you're sure."

**********

Lucky took his position in the museum and adjusted his Bluetooth. "Can you hear me?"

"That's affirmative." Spinelli answered back. He was hacked into the security system at the office, and had set up several monitors to keep a watch for any sign of the Unhinged One.

"I don't think I've used three-way calling since I was eight-years-old." Sam snickered recalling the novelty of talking to two of her girlfriends at the same time.

"Spinelli, do you have any blind spots?" Lucky asked.

"The East side exit has minimal coverage." He confessed. Lucky was not comfortable hearing that.

"Sam, are you sure we shouldn't switch?" He hated the idea of leaving her unprotected.

"I'm a big girl remember. Besides we have less than five minutes. A switch now could blow everything."

"The Jackal would not consider the fair Samantha as large; actually you tend to be quite small in stature." Commented Spinelli.

"Thanks for the assist." Lucky added.

"I am merely making an observation. Compared to the average Caucasian female the fair Samantha in the small side of the height and weight chart and body mass index, and though she excels in physical and mental acuity when facing insurmountable odds I do fear…"

"Enough Spinelli." Sam fired back. The pressure was starting to get to her and Spinelli's yammering was not helping.

"She's right." Lucky added. "We need to focus. You have the number ready?"

"Affirmative." He answered not wanting to mess with their concentration. "What happens if the Unhinged One decides to stand us up?"

"He won't." Sam answered. What she wasn't telling the men is that she knew Jerry enough to know he would not pass up taking her as bait. "I think I hear something."

"Fair Samantha, could you move two paces to your right? You're out of my field of vision."

Lucky and Spinelli heard a thud in the receiver.

"Sam?!" Lucky yelled.

"Goddess?" Spinelli added calmly.

"Oh, yippy it's Spinducky!" Jerry answered cheerfully after placing Sam's Bluetooth in his ear.

"Where's Sam?" Lucky questioned.

"I assume Spindorky can see her right… about… now." He said dragging her by the hair in front of the security camera. Sam was holding the back of her neck. "If either one of you hangs up or tries to call the authorities I will turn sweet Sam's brain into scrambled eggs, and that really would be such a waste."

"What do you want?" Lucky questioned.

"God I love those words, now if only I could get her to utter them. Seriously though, as fun as this game of cat and mouse has been I have to admit I'm getting rather bored and figured the company of sweet Sam could liven things up a bit. I'm sure you can attest to that detective."

"I'm not going to let you go anywhere with her." Lucky yelled as he picked up on Jerry's sexual innuendo.

"Oh see, that's where you are wrong. My men have surrounded the entire East side. If you come after me you will be killed. I wonder how Baby's Breath Elizabeth and her two adorable sons would react to that."

"Try me." Lucky said pulling out his gun.

"No, Lucky go!" He heard Sam scream.

"I'd listen to her." Jerry added.

Lucky fought every impulse he had in order to leave the building. When he did he found all four tires had been slashed on the truck. Then he heard Jerry's car squeal out of the parking lot.

"Fuck!" Lucky screamed as he kicked the rim of the tire as hard as he could.

"Protector of the Innocent, may I ask that you please calm down?" He heard Spinelli advise. He had forgotten that he was still on the line. "I know that it may not appear to be the case, but the tide has changed in our favor now."

"What are you talking about?"

"When the Goddess and myself came up with the idea of becoming a private investigating team, I dabbled into some tracking hardware, and came up with a device that could be placed under the skin undetected. The software as been loaded into my private computer."

"You mean you have a way to track Sam?"

"I believe that is what I said." Spinelli confirmed.

"She did this on purpose. Why didn't she tell me?"

"The Goddess was afraid that if you had prior knowledge you would object."

"You're damn right I would."


	40. Chapter 40

"I still don't understand how you were able to barter your way out of the hospital." Jason commented as Carly made her way out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth.

"I may have agreed to a couple of things." Carly replied.

"Like?"

"Promising to eat two slices of pizza as soon as we got back, drinking 64 ounces of water per day, and letting someone know if the world was spinning around me."

Jason handed her a plate with a couple of slices he had heated up in the mini microwave they had in the room. "And he believed you? Poor fool."

"Come on Jase, you're not going to stay mad at me, and you know it." Ever since Dr. Ladler announced that he was releasing her Jason acted perturbed. He attributed it to the fact that he knew she was on the mend and so he was free to react. Only Carly had the ability to annoy him this much, but he knew it was because she meant so much to him.

"No, I'm not, I can't, but I think there's something that you have to get through your thick skull. I don't know how many times you have told me that you need me, and that you couldn't handle it if something happened to me. It works both ways. I need you to be okay. Carly, I can't handle any more close calls. This is it, I'm at my threshold." He said as a single tear slid from his eye.

There wasn't anything Carly could say to make it up to him. Instead she took a bite of pizza. She knew the only thing she could do now was to prove to him that she would follow directions. As she finished the first piece Jason kissed her on the top of her head in appreciation.

"I'm going to run out and get a couple of things. You should call Michael. He sounded like he really needed to talk to you."

Carly looked at her cell phone to see missed calls from Michael, Bobbie, Jax, and Olivia. Heeding Jason's advice she called Michael first.

"How was your nap?" Michael asked as he saw his mother's number pop up on his screen.

"It was good. I'm feeling a lot better." She answered.

"So, what are they doing to you that made you so tired?"

"Oh, just cycling the blood out of my body." She replied. "I'm fine, Michael. I didn't eat a lot last night and it took its toll on me, but the doctor says that my blood work is looking a lot better already."

"That's wonderful. Do you think you're going to be able to come home early?"

"I doubt it, but the hard stuff should be over on Saturday. Jason mentioned that you needed to talk. Is everything okay with you?" She asked trying to steer the conversation away before she told him too much.

"You heard about the accident, right?"

"Yeah, Sonny had called us, and Michael, it's not your fault."  
"I know, well mostly. I feel really bad about…" It was hard for him to mention the baby.

"In situations like this it is easy to play the guilt game, trust me, your father is an expert on it, but all it does is eat you up alive. You weren't doing anything wrong."

"Thanks, but that's not all I needed to talk to you about." He said and then explained what happened in the hospital room with Alyssa and her parents. "Mom, why didn't you tell me that dad protected Kate?"

"You were dealing with enough. You're still dealing with the loss of that year, and the damage from the accident. A lot happened when you were in a coma. A lot of blame went around, and I didn't think you needed to be exposed to that when you woke up."

"You blamed dad?" Michael gathered.

"I blamed anyone associated with that business. I blamed myself for believing I was doing what was best for you when it was all for me. I blamed Kate for bringing you there, and Jason for telling me not to go to you when that was my instinct. But yeah, I lashed out against Sonny because when he had a split second to react to seeing the riffle he covered Kate and left you standing."

"Mom, I can't say that he made a mistake based on where Kate was standing in relation to me, but I am sorry for the way I've been treating you. I've been talking to Dante…"

"Olivia's son?" Carly questioned, still trying to get used to Dominic being Dante.

"Yeah, I know why I've struggled seeing dad's faults and why it's so easy to come down on yours. It is because I know that you will always be a part of me. I wanted to let you know I appreciate that."

Carly held her teddy bear wishing that she could be holding her son.

"Always." She reiterated. "So, what's going on with Alyssa?"

He told her about their conversation in the bedroom, and how he knew eventually the parents would win out and he didn't want to put Alyssa through that. He cared too much.

"Michael, are you afraid that her life would be in danger being around you?"

"No, but her parents do."

"Parents are protective. They overlook every scenario and usually fixate on the worse possible one, but life is too short. We don't know what is going to happen one moment to the next, and we can't live in complete fear of it. If you really like this girl, and she really wants to be with you then I say go for it. Prove to her parents what you can provide her with a life outside of your father's business. That is what Sonny and I have always wanted for you."

**********

After dropping Michael off at the Quartermaine's, Jax drove around aimlessly. His mind was screaming, and was hoping that the drive might sooth his thoughts. Without planning it, he found himself on Alexis' doorstep.

"Oh, hi. Have you heard from your brother?" She greeted him.

"No, you haven't heard anything from Sam?"

"Not since our last call. I'm starting to get worried."

"I'm sorry, you have your own stuff to deal with. I shouldn't impose." Jax backed away

"No, please come in. I could use the break from my compulsive worry. Go ahead, unload on me." She said and directed him towards the living room couch.

"It's Carly." He replied. He had tried calling her and got no answer, and even talk Olivia into trying as well.

"Do you think something is wrong?"

"I think she's hiding something, and Jason is helping her cover it up."

She heard the hint of malice as he mentioned Jason's name. "How do you figure?"

"She told me yesterday that her appointment runs from 9:30 to noon. Michael called Jason at two and Jason claimed that she had just finished her session and was taking a nap at the clinic." Jax replied. He did not want to tell Michael about the in continuity.

"That could just mean her session went long, which would explain why she was so tired." Alexis tried explaining.

"Do you think I'm over reacting?"

Alexis laughed. She was the last person to say whether someone else was over reacting to a situation. "Are you actually asking me that?"

"I think it's just my own insecurity with the Jerry/Claudia situation. If she finds out… and Jason is in the perfect position to slip himself into my wife's life. It's taking everything I have not to get on my jet and fly straight down there." He ranted, and then answered the question he knew Alexis was going to ask next. "I would if I hadn't promised Carly that I would be looking over Britni, and I need to be here for Michael and Morgan when Carly can't."

"How are they doing?" Alexis asked. She had already heard about the accident.

"Morgan seems okay. Michael is taking it a bit harder." He knew that it would help Michael if his mother was around.

"It is awful. I can't believe I'm saying this but I do feel sorry for Claudia." Alexis responded. "That's a fate worse then death."

"Are you saying that you're rethinking the charges?" Jax asked.

Alexis had been thinking about it. What Claudia had to be going through was worse than anything the system could do to her, but it was not up to her to play judge and jury. "I don't know. I reacted when I heard that Claudia was responsible for getting Michael shot, and I put my daughter in danger because of it. If Lucky and Sam are able to bring Jerry back to Port Charles I'm going to have the case heard, and leave it up to the judge to decide a fitting sentence."

"And what if she calls before they catch him, are you going to tell her to let it go?"

"What would you and Carly want?"

"Claudia out of our children's life, but truthfully, I think Michael is just about done with Sonny's business, and Morgan's never wanted anything to do with his wife."

"Smart boy."

"Yes, he is, but it's getting to be about his bedtime, and I really should spend some quality time with my daughter tonight. Thank you for being an ear." He said, and gave her a hug.

"Anytime, thank you for the distraction."

**********

Sonny helped walk Claudia into the den. She stretched out on the couch as he took the recliner next to her. The entire limo ride was quiet, and it was obvious to him that she felt tenuous about being left alone with him. Both were grieving, and there weren't many women that could handle being around him when he was brooding. In this case Claudia had a genuine fear of what he might do next.

"Sonny, I think we need to talk." She said finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah." He nodded. The tension was thick and he didn't know what to say to diffuse it.

"I can't take back what I told you this morning, and if you want me to disappear, I will."

"Would you like a drink?" Sonny replied; he had gotten up to get himself something. He knew it was not the best idea with being on the bipolar medication, but he hoped it would take the edge off.

"As long as it's not laced with poison." That morning she thought she wanted to die, but when faced with the reality of it she was petrified.

He poured two glasses and sat back on the recliner. He responded calmly. "I've lived most of my life under the motto an eye for an eye. It seemed to work for me for awhile. A few days ago my seventeen-year-old son asked me to let something go because of the domino it has."

Claudia looked to him trying to figure out exactly what he was saying.

"Michael knew, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Jerry sent a DVD to Carly, and Jason figured out my name was mentioned, told Michael, and Michael confirmed it with John."

"Carly knows?" Sonny asked.

"She doesn't appear to remember. How did you know Michael did?"

"He mentioned that it started with him shooting Kate, which didn't make any sense until I thought back to my reaction."

"I suppose we both lived by the eye for an eye motto." Claudia replied. It was one revenge ploy after another. "Are you saying that you forgive me?"

Sonny shook his head. "I don't know that it's my place to be giving or receiving forgiveness. I don't know how many times I've yelled at people for betraying me as if it was a cardinal sin. I've told Carly to think before she acts, and I'm the worst at it."

"Sonny, if I wouldn't have lost the baby, would this conversation be different?"

"Did you think that conceiving a child with me would prevent you from being killed?" He asked thinking back to the confession about poking holes in the condoms.

"I thought it might help my chances when you were able to bond with our baby." She said. It was refreshing to talk honestly with him, but she was still cautious.

"Your father killed the mother of his son."

"I was hoping that you were at least a little saner than my father."

"I shot Carly when she was giving birth to Morgan." He confessed.

That she hadn't heard before, and wasn't sure she wanted to hear him elaborate.

"I reacted. I heard screaming, and I thought my enemy was hurting my wife. I went in not knowing what the situation was and I fired my gun. The bullet went straight through my enemies back and penetrated my wife's skull. I react and people get hurt, innocent people."

"I know the feeling." Claudia replied as tears formed once again in her eyes. She didn't want to think what she was thinking. She never meant to hurt Michael, but somehow she couldn't help feeling like there was some cosmic justice in the fact that he was the one driving the other car. "Do you believe in Karma?"

Again he shook his head. "If I did, then between the two of us this baby never had a chance. Maybe all we can do is learn from it."

"Sonny, will you hold me?" She sobbed. He transferred over to the couch and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin against the top of her head and let himself weep. He wasn't sure how it happened, but at that moment he needed her.

"I decided on a name. I was hoping, tomorrow…" She started unable to complete the thought.

"What is it?"

"Gianna… Gianna Adela Corinthos." She picked it out because it was the feminine to Giovanni, or Johnny.


	41. Chapter 41

The time it took for the tow truck to arrive gave Lucky the opportunity to replay every detail and assess what and how things went wrong. Jerry had the advantage as soon as he knew he was being tracked; especially since he knew that it was a case of capture. It was long past time that he took the advantage back. He only hoped that he knew what he was doing when he placed the call.

"Alright Cowboy, why did you have techno-genius over here call in two old farts like us?" Luke asked his son.

Lucky had brought everyone to the small hotel room he had stayed in the prior night.

"I was enjoying my retirement thank you very much." Robert Scorpio replied.

"Really? Then why did you jump on the opportunity to fly half way across the world?" Lucky countered.

"Curiosity." Robert replied.

"Spinelli, can you show them?" Lucky wanted the DVD viewed first, and then he could give the update on the turn of events since leaving Port Charles.

Spinelli followed directions and turned the laptop around for all to view, and pressed play. Lucky watched the men react. He had seen it so many times that he had memorized Jerry's every word. What he saw this time was the same fire in Luke's eyes that he could only imagine mirrored his own at the police station.

When Spinelli turned it off the first to break silence was Robert.

"I guess I'm a little lost here." He commented. He knew that the young Corinthos has been comatose and awoken, but that was all his daughter, Robin, had told him.

"It was a failed mob hit." Lucky explained.

"Yeah, I gathered that. Who is this schmuk, and what are we doing in Mexico?"

"Did she ever see this?" Luke asked sullen as he fit the pieces together.

Lucky nodded.

"What? Who?" Robert questioned.

"The Valkyrie. It is her deranged sibling by matrimony that sent the disc explaining the role the Vixenella played the fateful night young Mister Sir was mortally wounded then stuck within his own realm of consciousness for over a full cycle of the changing seasons. The Unhinged One hoped to dispel his own participation in order to gain the Valkyrie's favor and thus she may be more amendable for him to engage in familial bonding with her newly arrived cherished one. Unfortunately the result of the message was almost as cataclysmic as the disastrous night itself and resulted in the Unhinged One fleeing the North Eastern region."

Robert blinked a couple times as he attempted to process Spinelli's explanation. "Was that supposed to be any clearer?" He asked Luke.

"Jerry sent the DVD to Carly hoping to apologize for his part in Michael getting injured. What he didn't know was how high risk her pregnancy was, and she almost died from it." Lucky explained.

"This is Jerry Jax?" Robert recalled hearing tales from the MetroCourt Hostage Crisis where his daughter had been shot.

"Did I not just say that?" Spinelli muttered feeling invisible.

"Now that we're through with the history lesson, let's get on with what we're going to do to the bastard." Luke added.

Lucky explained the charges against Jerry and the trail he and Sam took south to locate and attempt to detain their target. "Jerry is a master at playing games, and he's is loving that we've been playing along right with him. Sam took it upon herself to turn the game in our favor, but to get her back I need to stop reacting and be more calculating. I had some time to examine where things went wrong. Each time Jerry wormed his way out of a confrontation by the use of his 'associates.' I would like for nothing else to take the guy one on one, but that is not going to happen. I figure between the two of you, there are contacts and associates spread over this entire planet, so yes, I'm asking for some help."

"I'll do whatever I can, but first we need to locate him." Robert volunteered.

"Oh, in that point I can be of assistance." Spinelli perked up.

"Not again." Luke murmured.

"Just speak English." Lucky instructed.

"When the fair Samantha and myself joined forces in our mission to uncover the cryptic for hire the Jackal thought that it would be useful to have a mode of detecting each others whereabouts in case there was ever a situation that we were in a dire state, such as the current dilemma."

Luke looked over to Lucky.

"Sam is hooked up to a tracking device. Spinelli has the software to locate her at any given time." Spinelli hit a few keys and then turned the computer around to show a map of Mexico. A little pink dot was moving across the highway east, probably to Cancun.

"Is that her heartbeat?" Lucky asked studying the system.

"That it is!" Spinelli gloated. "It was specifically designed to be inserted where a pulse could easily be detected, so the computer is fully aware of any physical or emotional distress." This also meant that they could keep tabs on whether or not Jerry was keeping her alive.

"My guess is that we're not going to get any more letters indicating his next destination, when he wants me to follow he'll have Sam contact me." Lucky figured that from Cancun they would probably taking off by yacht, and going anywhere from there.

**********

"Hey, come on Carly, wake up." Jason nudged her. When he found her after coming back from the grocery store she was asleep on the bed. She had managed to get half way through her second piece which he took as a huge improvement.

Carly moaned. After getting off the phone with Michael she placed another call to her mom before crashing. "Can I play hooky today?" She groaned.

"No." Jason laughed. "No, you are going to get some breakfast, and I will bring you to the clinic, even if it means carrying you."

"Fine, but no carrying me. What are you force feeding me today?"

"What would you like?"

She gave a grimace.

"Still no appetite?"

"Dr. Ladler says that it might take some time for me to adjust to the new medication." She replied hoping that was all it was.

"Monica suggested that I get protein shakes, just to get something in you. I also bought fruit to go with."

She agreed to it, not that she really had much of a choice. It was easier for her to digest in liquid form. She loved how devoted Jason was to her, she liked waking up next to him, and she didn't want to do anything else that would upset him.

"You talked to Monica?"

"I sort of freaked out and ran to my mommy." He responded figuratively; not sure if he could have admitted that to anybody else.

Carly placed her hand on his cheek. His face told the story of how she was affecting him, which reaffirmed to her exactly why she did not want her children to know. "I'm sorry to do this to you. I know that it's not fair."

His strength was weakening. He wanted to tell her why is hurt him so much to see her in any kind of pain. He fought hard to resist kissing her again. Instead he just took her hand and held it. "It doesn't need to be fair, just promise me to keep fighting."

"I promise."

**********

Sonny and Claudia were the first to arrive at the Queen of Angel's church. He had called early to make the last minute arrangements, but hoped to bring her once everything was set to give her final okay. Claudia went directly to the alter where the tiny casket lay. Above was a beautiful arrangement of white flowers and a picture of a cherub hung behind.

She stood envisioning her little girl. She pictured a precious girl with a button nose and deep brown eyes with gold flakes. She had dark thick hair and a smile that could charm anyone's soul. Sonny stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders, and then made his way to light a candle. She stayed for a while and let herself daydream of her daughter growing up. She saw herself drop her little girl off at pre-school, read her to bed at night, and hold her when she was scared. She saw her first communion and dance recital, and then her high school graduation. By the time the white dress came out Claudia was crying too hard to see.

Claudia felt someone put their arms around her; she turned around to see Johnny. He wanted to ask how the night at the Grey Stone was, and somehow she knew because she gave a smile and nod indicating everything was Sonny was fine. She buried her head into his suit and held on. He was proof that she had the capacity love someone the way a mother could love a child, and at that moment it is what she needed.

Sonny saw Mike and Morgan at the back and waved them forward. Mike stopped give his condolences to his son and daughter-in-law while Morgan went directly to the alter.

"How do you pronounce it?" Morgan asked eyeing his sister's name on the casket.

"Gianna." Johnny explained. "It kind of sounds like a mix between a 'g' and 'j', with a long 'e' followed by 'onna,' with a soft 'a'."

"Gianna, that's pretty." Morgan added.

"Yeah." Johnny knew that the baby would have been beautiful. "Do you want to sit down? It should be starting soon."

Michael struggled with walking through the doors. Dante had dropped him off as promised, but he was still afraid that Claudia wouldn't want to see him.

"Michael?" A voice startled him.

"Oh, hi Father."

"I was just about to begin. Are you coming?"

"I don't know." He hesitated.

"I think your father and brother could use your support." Michael recalled his conversation with Morgan on Thanksgiving when Morgan asked to have dinner with their other relatives. 'Because dad and I need you here' was his reply.

"Okay, yeah." He said pushing the door open. Then he strolled slowly in the direction of the sanctuary. Claudia broke off of conversation with Mike to walk towards him. As she approached she spread her arms out and invited him in.

Michael couldn't hold back tears when he hugged her. "I'm so sorry." He cried.

"No, Michael don't. Please."

"How can you forgive me?" He didn't understand.

"You've shown that same forgiveness towards me. It's over now. The gift she gave me was peace."

The minister took his place and gave them time to sit down as the organist started playing. The congregation was small, but besides missing Kristina, it was exactly what Claudia wanted. She didn't want a spectacle in front of a bunch of people that never cared that her daughter ever existed; just the people directly related and therefore always connected to her.

"We are gathered here today to honor the memory of Gianna Adela Corinthos, a daughter of God who never had the opportunity to grace us on this mortal world, but will be in the hearts of those who love her forever." The minister started. "It reminds of the passage from Psalms 139: 'For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.' It is times like these that we are to look inward and trust that the purpose of this creation transcends physical time and form; that she was created to stand by our Father's side and watch over and comfort those who can feel her presence. I would like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share their thoughts or prayer."

Johnny stood up, and made his way forward. "Okay, I'm going to try." He started already feeling his throat knot up. "Thank you for coming today. We are here to say hello and goodbye to someone we had only hoped to know. All of our memories were caught up in expectations of who she would be, and how she could enrich our lives. We wonder what we could have taught her, and what we would have done to foster her development, and the only comfort we have is in knowing that she's watching over us in a place with no fear or pain or sorrow… I'm so sorry." He said not able to finish.

Instead Morgan stood up from his seat and opened his voice to song. Sonny was taken back at the perfect pitch and power in which he sang. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me… I once was lost, but now I'm found was blind, but now I see." The next verse others joined in. Sonny held Claudia as she cried on his shoulder.


	42. Chapter 42

"Oh, don't just sit there and sulk, say something." Jerry encouraged as he drove through the Mexican countryside. There was nobody for miles and she knew it.

"My hands are falling asleep." Sam told him. She had been strapped into the seatbelt with handcuffs tying her arms behind her back.

"Yeah well, if I stop now to try to make you more comfortable you're going to run off and get yourself hurt, and I can't bloody well have that on my conscience, so sit tight. We will reach our destination soon enough."

"And then what?" Sam asked feeling out how much he was willing to tell her.

"Come on, it's so much more fun when it is a surprise."

"It's going to blow up again, and you know it." She said hoping to be able to play some mind games of her own. "That's what happens. You lay down the ground work excellently and then you get cocky. After awhile you get bored; make a mistake, and your perfect plan goes boom."

"You've studied my work, I'm honored."

"It doesn't take much. There was the MetroCourt where you got caught in your own explosion, and then on the boat where again it blew up, and then there was the car bomb. I mean quite literally here, your plots exploding on you. Of course then there was the DVD fiasco."

"I wouldn't call it a fiasco."

"So you meant to kill your sister-in-law?"

"I didn't kill her." He snapped, suddenly going serious. Sam noted the reaction.

"You almost did, and you are going to be responsible for breaking up her marriage." She tried pushing a little further.

"That's only under the assumption that you and Lucktard are able to bring me back to Port Charles. I have to hand it to you two, I sort of thought after the Alamo you would count your losses. Not to say that I'm not glad you didn't. I really do enjoy your company."

"Always the charmer, aren't you?"

"Your mother thought so."

"There's no accounting for taste." She snapped back.

Jerry scoffed. "Please, how many bed buddies have you and your mother shared? Let's see, there was Sonny, who impregnated you both, and his brother Ric, which talk about twisted, your mother's husband, really? I suppose you can't really count my dear brother since he never actually slept his wife, although I do wonder how far you would have let me get." He said giving her a smile that sent shivers through her spine. "You know, maybe it's a genetic predisposition for the two of you to go after brother's. Which means after the detective, lets see, I suppose there is Mr. Lovett. You could go after the Prince, but you don't seem the kissing cousin's type."

"You know, if you're just going to kill me, can we get it over now?" Listening to him talk was giving her a sour taste in her mouth.

"Why would I do that now? Nah, I certainly haven't experienced the full pleasure of your company yet."

"You demented sociopath." She cringed.

"Ooo, there's time for that later."

**********

"One more minute." Jason urged. Carly's arm was sore and energy was non-existent. Jason was holding her hand, and just about squeezing it for her. She had just promised him to keep fighting so she held on as long as needed. "And rest."

She released all her tension and sunk back.

"More water?" Jason offered.

She shook her head no. Once she was finished her first stop was going to be emptying her bladder. "Tell me something, anything."

The first thought was to tell her how much he loved her, but knew it wasn't the time. "Okay… um, your hair looks even more gorgeous than normal when it's all naturally curly like that."

"Compliments! Good choice. Tell me more." She smiled.

"You were the one giving me the compliments yesterday." He smirked.

"Huh? When? What did I say?" He mentioned that she had been out of it for a while, but never specified what he meant.

"Just something about being the most beautiful man on the planet."

"Really? Don't let it go to your head, I was loopy." She teased. "Besides Colin Farrell, way hotter!"

"Oh really?" He pretended taking offense.

"Yeah, I mean you should probably lay off the doughnuts a bit." She tapped his abs.

"Ah huh."

"Please, since when do I have to be delirious to call you attractive?" She asked him. He knew she thought he was the sexiest man alive, he had to.

"Since we were in the Marquis Islands, or how about in the basement of the MetroCourt with the gas leak?" He reminded her. She recalled the sweaty wife-beater that he had on, and just the thought of it caused her to gasp.

"And we're done." She indicated looking at the machine. She stood up from the chair too quickly causing her to momentarily lose balance. As always, Jason caught her.

"Are you okay?" He asked holding her steady.

She nodded. "I swear I didn't do that on purpose."

***********

The minister wrapped the service in prayer. When the organ started playing Sonny and Claudia were the first to exit the sanctuary. They were going to a private burial for their final goodbye. Afterwards Claudia planned to talk to her husband about taking off to Italy for awhile.

"Hey Morgan, thanks for the save." Johnny offered as soon as the music stopped playing.

"You're welcome." The nine-year-old responded. "I'm glad I could help you after what you did for me when I needed it."

"I had no idea you could sing so well." Mike added.

Morgan blushed. "Hey Johnny, Grandpa Mike and I were going to go to Kelly's for root beer floats and cookies. Would you join us?"

"I can't say no to an offer like that." He smiled. "How about you Michael, are you in?"

Michael was staring to the alter. The pallbearers had already left with the casket.

"Michael?" Morgan questioned.

"Yeah, I'll go, can you give me a lift?" He asked Johnny.

"Sure, come on." Johnny said inviting him to the car. As he sat down Johnny decided to try digging a little. "Nobody is blaming you."

He knew that, only he could not help but put in the blame on himself. "Claudia said that it was over now, does that mean what I think it does?"

"If you're asking if your father knows, then yes. By the way, what's going on between you two?" Johnny noticed the tension between them.

"Nothing." Michael answered. The standard answer for 'I don't want to talk about it.' His mind was wandering in too many different directions to actually focus on any one thing. He still was not sure how he was going to handle seeing Alyssa in school, he didn't know how involved he should be in his father's life, and wasn't convinced that all was well with his mother.

Noticing his unwillingness to engage he turned up the volume of the radio and drove to the diner. Morgan was already seated with his beverage, and waved them to sit down.

"Can I get you anything?" The waitress asked.

"I'll take one of those." Johnny answered.

"Make it three." Michael added.

"How's school going?" Johnny asked Morgan.

"Good, but I can't wait for winter break." He answered. "Mom says that we're going to do something special while Michael is in Vermont."

"You talked to mom?" Michael asked.

"Last night, she called Grandma Bobbie and I got to talk to her before bedtime." Morgan answered.

"How was she?" He blurted out; he had probably only talked to her a couple minutes prior, but wondered if anyone else got the same feeling he did.

"Fine, a little tired, why?" Morgan responded, and then saw a blonde outside the diner. "Is that your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, well, kind of. Hey, I'll be back in a bit." He excused himself, and then went to greet her. She was talking with Kevin and Lindsay. "Lyss?"

"Oh, hi Michael. I didn't know you would be here. I'm sorry, I know it's your family business and all."

Michael snickered. "If you were to avoid every business that a family member of mine owns, you would need to leave town, and I'm not ready for that yet."

"I thought you said…" She started. Their friends noticed the direction the conversation was going and went inside.

"I got some advice since then that made a lot of sense." Michael cut in.

"What kind of advice."

"My mom told me that life was too short to try looking out for everything that might go wrong."

"Your mom sounds like a smart woman."

"I don't want you feeling like you're in danger around me." He added.

"I don't, that's what I tried telling you the other day, and once my parents get to know you they'll understand."

"We'll see." He said unconvinced. "Would you like to meet my brother?"

She nodded and followed him inside. Morgan was telling Johnny all about his field trip. Michael gave the introductions, and ordered another float for Alyssa.


	43. Chapter 43

Lucky spent the day either watching the pink dot bounce across Spinelli's computer screen or compulsively check his phone messages. So far the only missed calls had been from Elizabeth who was frantic about where he was and when he would be back. It was because he didn't want to drag her into his current situation that he let them go without a return call.

"Okay, so let's see if I'm getting this right, the Vixenella is Claudia Zacchara and the Valkyrie is Carly…?" Robert clarified. "The Unhinged One is quite obvious."

"I thought so." Spinelli replied, yet he also thought all his terms more clearly fit the reference.

"And what should I call you?"

"Among cyber-space I am known as the Jackal. Although in the presence of an esteemed sooth as yourself, I would be honored if you would be willing to take me on as an apprentice much as Stone Cold has become my master, I would be your grasshopper."

"How are you holding up Cowboy?" Luke asked as he sat next to Lucky who was sitting across the room from Spinelli and Robert's conversation.

Lucky continued staring at the screen watching Sam's heartbeat.

"I haven't met a sole that's more resourceful than that one."

Lucky sighed, he was right. Sam thrived on this. "She should have told me. We could have planned something."

"I think that she trusts you enough to do what you have to in order to detain Jerry and get her back safe and sound. She will do her part until that happens."

"If he lays one of his slimy paws on her…"

"She will leave him singing soprano." Luke finished.

Lucky chucked as he imagined the kick to the groin. "Thanks."

"Hey, what's family for? Speaking of which, I'm proud of you Cowboy. I don't know who I find more repulsive Zacchara or the former Mr. Craig. I just hope that when this is through it will give Barbara Jean and Caroline a little piece of mind."

"Yeah, me too." He replied thinking back to his last conversation with his cousin. He hadn't received word on how she was doing since he took off, and hoped that the treatment was working.

His phone started vibrating on the table beside him. He looked down to check the number.

"Sam?" He picked up.

"She's being well taken care of." Jerry answered

"I want to speak to her." Lucky demanded.

"Careful Spencer, you're not in a position to be making demands."

"What do you want?"

"Caracas, Tuesday, come alone, and I might let her live." He said and hung up.

***********

"Yeah, well, worry has been a pretty natural state since I found you passed out on the office floor last spring." Johnny heard as he entered Olivia's living room. "I promise you, everyone will calm down a little once you are back in Port Charles and up to your latest shenanigans."

"Tell Carly I say hi." Johnny knew instantly who was on the other line.

"You hear that?" Olivia asked Carly, and then looked back to Johnny. "She says hi and again sends her condolences."

"Thanks."

"No, honey, you're not interrupting anything." She said into the receiver. "Okay, then take care, and I will talk to you soon… Goodbye."

She put the phone down and Johnny came beside her to give her a shoulder massage.

"You really don't have to do that." She told him. "How was it?"

"One of the most painful experiences of my entire life." He confessed only preceded by his mother's death and that of the relatives his father killed when he tried running away.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could have been there for you." Olivia had only stayed away because she didn't want to make the day harder for Claudia.

"You can be there for me now." He said and brought her into his embrace with a passionate kiss. He sank back on the couch and let her fall on top of him as she unbuttoned his top.

"Is this what you had in mind?" Olivia asked as she was kissing his bare chest. He just nodded.

**********

"What's she like?" Alyssa asked Michael. After Johnny left and Jax picked up Morgan from the diner, he asked Alyssa to take a walk with him around the park.

"She is impulsive and courageous. She'll try anything once. She's strong, and stubborn as all hell." Michael described. "She reminds me of you."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Mostly." He admitted. "She's loyal, but almost to a fault. She will put herself in dangerous situations to protect those around her, and has been hurt because of it. Lys, you have to promise me that if it gets to be too much for you, you'll leave. I don't think I could live with myself if I let the girl that I was in love with get hurt."

"You're in love with me?" Alyssa picked up on.

"As if you didn't know."

"I hoped, 'cause I love you, too." She said before kissing him. He wasn't entirely sure how to react, or where to put his hands, but decided it was safe to encircle them around her and follow her lead.

***********

Jason was passed out next to Carly. She had again gone to sleep early. As her doctor predicted, the longer the week got, the more weak and tired she had become. He couldn't wait until it was over; he struggled bringing her daily to the clinic because he knew the toll it was taking, but he told himself it was to protect them from having to go through this all over again. He was awoken by a hand in his face; he rolled over trying to avoid her thrashing that was becoming more frequent.

"_Who told me? You mean you knew?"_

_"No, of course not. I mean how do you know? Claudia, really?" _

_"I can't believe you." _

_"Carly, I can explain." _

_"Oh, really? I'd love to hear this. Please, let's start with when? Before or after Michael woke up?"_

"_Before. Jerry sent me a DVD. I didn't want to hurt you."_

He looked over to the clock that read 3:12 am. Jason wondered what she dreaming about. Each time he asked her about it she claimed she couldn't remember. It was obvious that there was something plaguing her unconscious, but until she could talk to him about it there was nothing he could do.

"_Out. Get out now!"_

_"Carly, you need to calm down."_

_"You need to get out of my face!"_

_"This isn't good for the baby, or you." _

For some reason she seemed more anxious this evening. He turned back over to face her; her head was rocking back and forth. He felt helpless all he wanted was to hold her and tell her it was going to be alright.

_"Please, go."_

_"Only if you promise to calm down."_

_Carly's eyes shut tight, fighting off the nausea. She took a breath, opened her eyes, and calmly pointed to the door, "go." As soon as the door shut Carly collapsed on the sofa. The room was spinning and her head pounding. There was only one person she knew that could make this better. Her fingers trembled as she dialed the telephone. _

When her breathing got shaky Jason had to act.

"Carly." He shook her.

She continued to breath heavily.

"Carly!"

She opened her eyes and started crying into his chest. He held on to her waiting for her to open up to him. It took awhile for her to calm down enough to speak. "I can't go back there."

"You can't go where?" He pressed.

"I felt it, my head pounding, the world spinning…I was slipping back."

"It was a dream. You're not going anywhere, I won't let you."

He rotated his weight onto his back, she clung to him with her head on his shoulder. He wiped her tears away. "Jase, I saw it all. The DVD, the fight with Jax, picking up the cell phone and dialing your number."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that again."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He was combing his fingers through her hair. "I had to make sure that I wouldn't lose you."

"Jerry said that you found a link between him and Devlin." She pressed. Carly needed to know everything. Her blood pressure had been stabilized, there was no longer an excuse to keep it from her.

"The one year anniversary of Michael's shooting I found Ric snooping around the warehouse after you left." That was Carly's first time at the scene of the shooting. She had to go back, while she was there she relived the night, she heard everything unfold in front of her, and she thought it was going to consume her until she was consoled by the embrace of her best friend. "I jumped to the conclusion that he could be responsible, and wanted desperately to find that link. He claimed that it was Claudia, and said he had a DVD from Jerry proving that. Only when we attempted to view the DVD it was blank. The same day I found out that you could be suffering from ZBT was the day Spinelli found the link between Jerry and Devlin's bank records."

"And that's why you kept it from me."

"I couldn't risk your life, and I didn't have any proof against Claudia."

"Jax did." She replied. When Jerry handed her the DVD in her living room she thought she recognized the pattern on the case. The more she thought about it she remembered seeing it on a DVD that was given to them the day that her and Jax renewed their vows. She had attempted to watch it, but Jax had walked in on her and distracted her. She realized that he must have known. "Within hours of renewing our vows, and promising not to keep secrets from each other he was lying to me."

"Let him explain." Jason urged. "Give him the same chance you gave me."

She nodded; she was tired and wasn't sure if she had the energy to fully process everything. Instead she closed her eyes and listened to Jason's heartbeat.


	44. Chapter 44

Carly tried falling back asleep but the fear of going back to that place where she was stuck inside of herself fighting to survive consumed her. Instead she got up and put some clothes on and went to the beach not wanting to wake Jason up. She watched the sun rise, and thought about what she was going to say to Jax and if it really mattered how he responded. There was always a pink elephant in their relationship. She loved him, and she wanted the life that she thought he could promise her. She was so close, the baby she had with Jax, her precious Britni was suppose to cement the bond, but she could never fully give herself over to him; not when Jason had her complete and undying trust.

She called as soon as she thought Jax would be awake, and before he would need to bring Morgan to school. Carly couldn't wait until later because she wasn't sure she would have the energy for it.

"Good morning, love. I've missed you." Jax answered the phone.

"I'm sorry, I've been tired, and I have tried to catch up on my messages." She replied.

"I know, your family misses you."

Hearing his voice was starting to melt her anger towards him, but she knew that she had to be honest with what she was feeling. "Jax, I know about the DVD."

"What are you talking about?" He asked not wanting to get himself stuck in the same situation as he did the night of her collapse.

"Your brother came over and he handed me a DVD that I watched. Then you came home, and…"

He could tell she was upset as she described it. "Jason said that he wasn't going to tell you."

"Jason didn't tell me." She said with more furry.

"What do you want to know?" He asked backing off.

"Why you didn't tell me about Claudia's involvement? And please, don't lie to me." She wasn't sure she could handle anymore lies from him.

"I found out about your pregnancy, and then your blood condition, and I didn't want to do anything to hurt you."

"When did you find out?" Carly asked.

"It wasn't much before Michael's surgery."

"When?" She demanded.

"Carly, I…"

Tears started falling down her face. "It was the night we renewed our vows, wasn't it?"

"Yes." He admitted. He wasn't sure how she knew, but somehow he knew that denying it would only make matters worse.

"Okay, so again, tell me why didn't you tell me about Claudia's involvement?" She asked calmly.

"I love you, Carly. I meant that. We had just renewed our relationship and I was afraid that if you found out you would blame me in my role of getting Jerry off after the hotel incident."

Carly shook her head. "I was just as much to blame, even more so, for Jerry getting off, but he didn't hire the hit and he didn't pull the trigger. You should have told me." She said with venom.

"I was going to. I ran into Jerry at the aftercare institute and told him that I was going to tell you as soon as I got home, but when I did I saw the pregnancy test."

"It doesn't matter. Within hours of promising to be honest with each other you were lying to me. I'm sorry." She cried.

"No, Carly. We can work through this. Come on, for Britni's sake."

"Don't bring our daughter into this. We will raise her. I would never ask you to cut her out of your life, but without trust we have nothing."

"This is about Jason, isn't it." Jax accused.

"No, this is about us. I'll be contacting Dianne later today." She said and hung up the phone. She sat on the sand with her knees pressed against her chest and cried. Somehow she knew it was going to come to this. As soon as her memories came flooding back it was inevitable.

**********

Jason turned over to see the other side of the bed empty, and jolted awake. He wasn't used to Carly being awake when he wasn't, and his impulse was to worry until he looked out the window to see her seated at the beach. He quickly threw on some jeans to join her not worrying about covering his upper half. She looked sad, and he wanted to be there for her.

He sat beside her and listened to the waves roll in he draped an arm over her shoulder, and let her rest her head against his shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep?" He inquired.

She shook her head. "First time in awhile."

"Nightmares?" He figured.

"Yeah. I didn't want to go back, but now I'm not so sure." She replied.

"Don't you dare say that." He snapped and looked to her.

She glanced back at him and saw the intensity of his statement. Carly started to cry again. Her marriage was falling apart, and she hated the idea of being alone. "Jax and I are done."

"I'm sorry." He replied, but left out the part that he was never good enough for her.

"I destroy everything." She cried. Everything that ever mattered to her she managed to annihilate. She started with her relationship with Jason, and everything after was one disaster after another.

"You didn't do this. He's the one that lied."

"This time. I've always gone to you, and when Michael was shot I pushed him away, and then slept with Sonny…"

"And he said that he was over that when he renewed your vows."

"I never really let him in. I married him knowing that there was only one person that I could fully trust, but did it because I knew I'd never get my first choice."

"Says who?" Jason asked gazing down at her.

"Oh God, we have to get going." Carly said looking at the time on her phone, and got up to head back to the room.

**********

After dropping Morgan off at school, Jax brought Britni over to Alexis'. She was about to leave for the office but saw his demeanor and let him.

"This can't be good." Alexis observed.

"It's done. Carly wants a divorce." He replied.

"What?"

"She must have remembered; she swears Jason didn't tell her."

"I'm sorry. If you need anything at all, let me know."

"Careful, I may just take you up on that." He said and gave her a kiss on the top of the head before heading to the door with the car-seat.

"Jax, wait!" Alexis stopped him.

He turned back to face her.

"She's a moron for letting you go." She assured him.

"Thanks."


	45. Chapter 45

"I have gotten in touch with all my Venezuelan contacts. There's a guy the works the customs marina in Caracas that will let us know when he arrives." Robert explained. "There are six others in the area that have agreed to help as soon as we secure a location."

"Good, thank you. Spinelli, were you able to download the software onto your blackberry?" Lucky asked. He figured it would be more portable as they searched for Sam's whereabouts.

"Indeed, I have, but did the Unhinged One not request that in order to assure the continued breath of life of that of the fair Samantha this journey needed be taken as a solo operation by the Protector of the Innocent?"

"Yes, but we want Lucky coming out of this alive as well." Luke explained.

"I'll confront Jerry alone, but we have no idea how heavily guarded he will be or if Sam is going to be in the same location." Lucky still questioned the objective of the game. Was he merely hoping to get away, and detour them off his trail? Or was it to ultimately lead them into a trap that would cause the most amount of mayhem? "My hope is that Jerry will lead me straight to him while the rest of you can catch up with Sam."

"What do you plan on doing once you have him cornered?" Luke asked.

"I don't know, I guess I'll make it up as I go along." He smirked.

"That's the Spencer spirit." Robert remarked.

**********

"I hope the new arrangements have made you more comfortable." Jerry said coming into Sam's quarters with food.

"I was until you walked through the door." Sam replied.

They boarded the yacht late the previous night. As they had approached the marina Jerry chloroformed Sam. She woke up in the bed hours later.

"Don't get any ideas." Jerry warned her. "The water is freezing this time of the year."

Sam had enough experience to know that without proper equipment attempting an escape would be suicide, besides she was hoping that as soon as they docked to lead Lucky straight to her. "Thanks for the update, but if I were to send anyone overboard it would be you."

"I doubt that, it would defeat the purpose of trying to get me to implicate Claudia now wouldn't it?"

"See, that was my mother's reason for me to go after you. She still has a soft spot for you that I will never understand. I would much rather see you burn in hell."

"What about your precious detective? I saw the look of revenge that consumed him. What would he say is you prevented him from playing the family hero? Are you sure his ego could handle that blow?"

"I think he would manage." She replied. "Hell, if he finds out that you try anything; he will be the one sending you flying over the edge."

"Try anything? Nah, a girl with your reputation will be asking for it in a couple of days."

Sam grimaced. The thought of being intimate with Jerry send shivers through her spine.

"I have your history well documented too, my dear, and when all else fails you turn to the use of your family jewels to get over on your mark. I must say, I look forward to it."

"Who said all else has failed." Sam responded.

**********

"Alexis, what are you doing just sitting there?" Dianne Miller asked bursting into her office. "We have work to do."

"I know, but must you be so peppy about it?" Alexis asked her friend.

"Um… yeah, we only have an hour."

"What are you talking about?" Alexis asked.

"What are you talking about?" Dianne re-directed.

"You mean you didn't get the call from Carly yet?" Alexis asked assuming her colleague was there about the divorce.

"No, what's Carly calling me about now? I mean, thank God, I'm not reading her will as we speak, but I have to tell Corinthos that for any work I do for her my salary should be tripled just for the headache that goes along with it."

"If you don't know then what are you here for?"

"The one hour sale at the MetroCourt boutique, remember? 1 pm today."

"Oh, that completely slipped my mind." With worrying about Sam, and thinking about Jax she blanked on new shoes she could be buying.

"Okay, this sounds serious, but we only have fifteen minutes to gab, so go." Dianne sat down and looked at her watch.

"Jax and Carly are getting a divorce." Alexis blurted out.

"Again?" Dianne asked less sympathetic. "Are we sure? I thought with Carly, Jason, Sonny, and Claudia all out of town I was sure to have at least the next week off."

"Sonny and Claudia are out of town?" Alexis questioned. That would certainly make things more difficult when Sam and Lucky came back with Jerry.

"They went to Italy to give themselves time to grieve." Dianne explained not thinking it was a matter of attorney-client privilege, after all she didn't think it was a secret that the father of Alexis' child went on vacation. "What about this divorce? Are there grounds for it, did Carly sleep with Sonny again?"

"No, this time Jax was keeping the secrets." Alexis explained the DVD, Claudia's involvement, and Jax' cover-up.

"Wow. This is why I am not keen on marriage. I really should talk to Carly before discussing this any farther. You do realize that Britni complicates this immensely?"

"I'm sure Jax understands that."

"Maybe this is like last time, all we have to do is convince them to talk it through before drawing up any of the paperwork." Dianne remembered the hassle as both Jax and Carly tried to push off the divorce hoping to work it out, which they had seemed to do, and even brought a beautiful baby girl into the equation.

"I doubt it, but the fifteen minutes are almost up. We should get going."


	46. Chapter 46

"How is the blood work?" Jason asked Dr. Rowan. Carly had fallen asleep on the chair immediately following the session.

"Everything looks good, but I am going to prescribe an iron supplement, and I also scheduled tests to be run at the hospital this afternoon."

"What kind of tests?" The thought of her having to go back to the hospital made him apprehensive.

"It's nothing to worry about. I want to get the latest cat-scan. I still believe that we can discontinue treatment tomorrow, but we need to make sure the swelling has gone down. She hasn't complained about any headaches recently, right?"

"No, not recently. Just… she's been tired. She had a bad dream last night that kept her up."

"Bring her back to the hotel and let her sleep for awhile; have her at memorial at 3:30."

"Okay."

"Jason." She stopped before exiting. "She's incredibly lucky to have you."

He thought back to the day that Patrick and Robin told them about the treatment, and their concern of having Carly go through it alone. He didn't want to imagine where she would be if she would have tried. She needed him, they both knew that, but he wished there was a way to prove he needed her too. He picked her up and carried her to the rental car knowing that she would object if she were even slightly conscious. He laid her under the covers of the king-sized bed and let her rest. She appeared calm, even sported a slight smile. He hoped that after the discussion with Jax her nightmares were behind her. The truth had been brought to light, and now it was time to move on and heal.

"Right on time." Jason said as Carly opened her eyes.

"On time for what?" She asked.

"Your next appointment."

"What?"

He told her about the doctor's request to complete some tests at the hospital.

"Today? I still need to call Dianne."

"Are you sure you want to rush into that?" Jason asked. "You have enough to deal with right now."

"What? Some tests, a treatment that should be done tomorrow?"

"Your health." He countered.

"Please, I'm sick of that excuse."

"It's not an excuse."

"Yes it is!" She fired back. "From day one people have decided the best thing for me was to lie to me, including you. When did I ever give the illusion that I couldn't handle the truth?"

She thought back to the day of Michael's surgery. Both Jax and Sonny had decided the best thing for her was to not know that Patrick saw something in the tests that Dr. Henson thought was irrelevant. They didn't want to go through with the surgery because they feared her safety. Jason was the one that told her, and Michael was awake because of it.

"Carly, you had a stroke."

"Because of the lie!" As the words slipped through her mouth she thought of all the lies she had told throughout the years and her 'good' reasons for them. Her demeanor slipped.

He noticed her back down. "We can talk about this later, but right now we should get going."

**********

"Who's watching over Britni?" Morgan asked.

"Your grandma volunteered for that." Jax answered. He was going to leave it up to Carly as to how she wanted to give the family their news, but wanted to ensure time with Morgan. He had raised Morgan as his own for years and needed the boy to know that he would always be there for him.

"Whoever came up with the idea of an indoor water park was a genius." Morgan claimed before running off towards the biggest water slide at the park.

"Be careful, no running!" He warned and followed. When he picked Morgan up from school he came with a duffle bag with swim trunks, towels, and a change of clothes. The young boy was ecstatic. He had been asking to go since that park had opened.

"So, what's the catch?" Morgan asked as they waited in line.

"Who says there is a catch?" Jax countered. "Can't a step-father just want to do something special for his son? Especially since his attention has been focused on the new baby."

Morgan had friends at school that had become older siblings and resented the lack of attention they got when the younger brother/sister arrived. "I'm not jealous. I know that Britni demands more than I do."  
"I know, and that is exactly why we are here. So I can personally thank you for being so understanding of everything." Jax explained as they reached the top.

"Solo or double?" The lifeguard asked.

Morgan looked to Jax wondering what he should do.

"Whatever you want." Jax offered.

Morgan smirked. "Solo!"

"Alright then." Jax commented as the lifeguard handed Morgan a tube. Shortly after was Jax' turn to navigate through the weaving slide.

"That was so much fun!" Morgan exclaimed as they met at the bottom. "Can we do it again?"

"Absolutely."

"I can't wait to tell mom all about this tonight."

**********

Michael sat in his last period bored to tears. He was in European history listening to a lecture about the French Revolution. As he attempted to not dose off Kevin handed him a note. He looked at his friend inquisitively; Kevin mouthed 'Alyssa.' He opened up the creatively folded letter and read.

_'Dear Michael_

_It was so good to finally see you back at school. I forgot to tell you in English that my mom is going to pick me up before my last period for a dental appt. We were invited to a party at Natalie Cruz' tonight and I was hoping to meet you there around 8:30._

___Always, Lys'_

"Are you going?" Michael asked Kevin after they exited the classroom.

"Trish thought it might be fun. Apparently Natalie's older sister is throwing it. Natalie was allowed to invite a few people."  
"Oh great, so college aged crowd?"

"Is that a problem?" Kevin asked.

"I hope not, but if I get in trouble because the cops break up a party with under-aged drinking my mom is never going to let us take that skiing trip."

"You're the son of the biggest crime lord on the east coast and you are worried about your mom?" Kevin teased. Michael had found it refreshing as he entered high school that even though people were aware of who his father was in didn't prevent them from establishing friendships with him the same way it did when he was in grade school.

"She's scarier, trust me."

Kevin laughed. "I'm afraid to ask. So, are you coming?"

"Of course. I wouldn't want to stand my date up." He replied. The last thing he wanted was to sneak behind her parent's backs, but Alyssa was certain that it was the only way they could see each other.

"You two are so cute together." Trish commented as she met up with them in the hall, and then gave Kevin a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks." He said sarcastically.

"And it's even more romantic with the Romeo and Juliet thing you have going on. You know the daughter of the cop and son of the criminal. I swear I've seen this movie on Lifetime."

He wasn't sure he liked the Romeo and Juliet analogy and his face gave that away, and he really didn't want to know how the movie ended.

"Maybe we should keep you away from Lifetime." Kevin re-directed.

"Are you kidding? Stop watching 'Army Wives'? I think not." The girl objected.

"What about 'Army Wives'?" Lindsay asked.

"I think that's my cue to get going." Michael commented as they girls started fawning over the mention of Trevor.

"Wait, you're not leaving me." Kevin attempted to stop him.

"Sorry." He said as he made his way back to the new vehicle. That morning he had finally been able to turn the ignition on and shift the stick to drive without panicking. He still wasn't sure whether he wanted to try it with passengers.

Michael was greeted at the door by Alice, who he was sure could take down any of his dad's bodyguards were they disarmed. He went directly towards his room but stopped a few doors short at the room which once belonged to his godmother. The hardest part of living at the Quartermaine mansion was the history of the people who had come and gone within the doors. As he lived there he had even gotten to know more about his biological father AJ and who he was before he turned to alcoholism.

"I still have problems going in there, too." Monica said as she passed Michael in the hall. "Most of her belongings had been taken over to Nikolas', but I just didn't have the heart to pack up her room after… you know."

"Grandma, did you approve of Nikolas?"

"Oh, God, not always. Nikolas' family has a very dark history and it's scary for any mother to watch her daughter get in too deep with someone that could hurt her."

"What changed your mind?" Michael asked.

"Their love was transcendent. He made her happy, and that's all I could ask for."

"Even if it cost her life?"

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish that I could go back and changed what happened that night, but the only solace I have is that fact that she knew love that most will never experience in 80 lifetimes." She recognized the line of questioning. "Why? Is there a girl?"

"Maybe, I'm going to be out late tonight." Michael responded.

"Have fun." She said, and Michael finished the walk to his room to shower and change before going out.


	47. Chapter 47

"Mr. Morgan, she's in room 417. The nurse will be right in with some paperwork and then she is free to go."

"Thank you." He replied and walked down the hall to the room.

Carly was curled up on the bed half-awake.

"How was it?" He asked.

"Headache." She mumbled.

Flashing back to his prior conversation with Dr. Rowan he reacted. "What? Where?"

"Relax." She said groggy. "You've had MRIs before. They put you head first in a little tube that makes pounding noises for an hour."

"Oh, yeah." He smiled.

The nurse came in with the forms and reminded them that the results would be sent immediately to the clinic. As they sat in the car Carly reached in to her purse to pull out her cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Jason asked.

"Dianne." She replied thinking it was obvious.

"Are you sure now is the right time?"

"Is there a reason that you don't want this divorce to happen?"

"No." He responded probably too enthusiastically. "I just don't want you to do this on an impulse. Your record with that is sketchy. The last thing I want is for you to self destruct and regret it later."

"Are you saying that it would be a mistake to end my marriage?"

"Not necessarily. If you don't think you can trust Jax then I agree that you shouldn't stay married."

"But?" She heard it coming.

It killed him to reply. He wanted nothing more but to kick the Aussie out of her life. "I want you to get your strength back, and then figure out what the best thing is for you and your children."

"Okay." She knew that was why Jason was her best friend. He was the only one that could make her step back and take a moment to examine her options.

*********

"How was the water park?" Bobbie asked her grandson.

"It was fantastic! They even had a surf boarding station that simulated what it is like to ride a real wave. Jax is really good at it." Morgan bragged.

"Give yourself some credit. You were getting the hang of it, and you totally flew down the slides faster than I did."

"That's because I'm about a hundred pounds lighter than you are."

"How is she doing?" Jax asked looking down at his daughter who was reaching up at the rings hung over her.

Bobbie sighed. "I think she is missing her mom, but otherwise she's well. I was just about to feed her, unless you wanted to."

"I'd like that." Jax replied.

Bobbie made her way to the kitchen to get the heated bottle. Jax picked up and studied his little girl. It was amazing how much she had grown in such a short amount of time and her hair was almost long enough to tie back in a bow.

"Morgan, how about you pick out a movie and I can make up some popcorn." Bobbie suggested as she handed the bottle over.

"Any movie?" Morgan asked.

"A grandma friendly movie." She replied.

He pouted.

"Hey! I'm a pretty cool grandma, just not a lot of blood and guts."

"Fine." He said and went to the DVD cabinet in attempt to find something that they could all enjoy. He settled for something in the action/adventure genre that he thought might work.

*********

Michael pulled up to the house which had people overflowing to the back yard. He parked down the street a bit and met up with Alyssa on the walk.

"You did come." She said throwing her arms around him.

"And you sound surprised." He replied with a kiss.

"Come on, let's go." She said pulling his arm.

He brought her back in to his embrace. "Nah, I think I'm good right here." He said, and kissed her again.

"There you are." Trish said catching up to them. "What are we waiting for?"

"Apparently nothing." Michael answered with an unsatisfied smirk and started walking towards the house.

"This place is huge." Trish observed. She was not as used to the mammoth sized houses as Michael was. "I hope I can find Kevin in there."

"Oh, hi." Natalie greeted at the door. "Coats can go upstairs in the third door to the left. There are soft drinks in the kitchen and in the coolers outside. I'm thrilled you could make it."

"Thanks for the invite." Alyssa replied.

They went upstairs to put the coats away throwing them in the room in hopes to not catch someone in a compromising position.

"Do you know anyone?" Trish asked scanning the crowd.

"Actually, yeah." Michael replied and made his way down the steps. "Hey man, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, hi. I could ask you the same thing." Dante responded.

"I got an invite from Natalie, you know, the hostess' sister."

"And who is this beautiful lady?" Dante charmed Alyssa.

"This is the girl." Michael smiled referring Dante back to their conversation in his living room.

"Right… Alyssa, wasn't it?"

"You've been talking about me?" She gushed.

"Maybe a little bit." Michael said and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi, I'm Trish." Trish said extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you." He replied giving her a peck above her knuckles.

This caused her to blush. She turned to attention to Michael. "How do you know him?"

"He's a friend. Our mom's work together." Michael answered deciding to leave out the part that he worked for his dad. "So, you never said what you were doing here."

"You see the girl over there with the sandy brown hair, amazing curves, gorgeous smile, and well… killer rack?"

"Yep." Michael replied causing Alyssa to push him.

"I ran into her, quite literally, the other day and she invited me here."  
"Damn." Trish mumbled.

"Damn what?" Kevin asked coming up from behind her.

"Oh, nothing."

"Hey, there you went." The girl said handing Dante a drink.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wander off too far." Dante flashed his dimples.

"And charming other girls already? I should have known." She gave a dazzling smile herself.

"Caitlyn this is Michael, Alyssa, Trish, and sorry I didn't catch your name."

"Kevin." He added. "Do you go to PCU?"

"Yeah, I'm a graduate student there. I've done some tutoring for Lauren."

"Lauren?" Michael asked.

"Cruz." Caitlyn responded. "The hostess."

"Do we want to go in the other room where it's a little quieter?" Dante suggested over the blaring music.

They agreed and wondered into the den which was set up with tables and a few dart boards. Michael couldn't imagine his parents letting him throw a party like that in their house. Although he was comforted that he had yet to see any alcohol come out.

"Do you want to play?" Kevin offered Trish, who agreed. "Anyone else?"

The others declined. Dante pulled out a chair for Caitlyn to sit.

"Thank you." She grinned. "A girl could get used to this."

Michael noticed the appreciation and did the same for Alyssa.

"Yeah, well, my ma raised me right." Dante responded.

"So, how did you guys meet?" Michael asked intrigued. He was happy there was someone there that he knew.

"I was out on my morning jog and crashed into him outside of Kelly's." Caitlyn admitted. "He was really sweet about it and asked me out. I couldn't very well so no. I mean, the second he sticks out the pouty lips."

Dante looked away trying to hide his embarrassment.

"What are you studying?" Alyssa asked.

"I'm a semester away from a master's degree in nutrition and kinesiology." She answered. "How about you two, are you students?"

"Yeah, in high school." Alyssa admitted. "Seniors."

"Where have you applied?" Caitlyn asked. "Most deadlines were up this week, right?"

Typically the cut offs were the second of December. Michael was happy that he had already turned in his applications prior to the Thanksgiving break since everything that had gone down since then. "Yeah, I applied for PCU, NYU, and Penn State." Michael answered, looking at some of the closer state colleges.

"Have you decided on a major yet?" Dante asked.

"I'm thinking about going into business." Michael answered. He had been thinking about it since his conversation with Dante about taking his father's businesses legitimate.

"What about you?" Caitlyn asked Alyssa.

"I've thought about Political Science." She replied, and admitted to applying to the same places as Michael.

"You know, you look really familiar to me." Michael said to Caitlyn. There was something about her features that stood out. "Are you from around here?"

"No, I was born and raised in Florida." She responded.

"Oh really, my mom is from there, which part?"

"Here and there." She dodged the answer.

"You moved around?" Dante inquired. He didn't know a lot about her.

"Yeah, I was forced to follow my mother's whim."

"What about your dad?" Alyssa asked.

"I don't have one."

"Hey, me either." Dante added.

"What do you mean you don't have one?" Alyssa pressed.

"You know, I'm in a mood to dance." Caitlyn said grabbing Dante's hand.

"I won't argue with that." He said and held onto her hips. The music in the room was quiet, but was a good slow song to cling to other person. She rested her head on his shoulder, and Michael and Alyssa watched them sway to the beat.

"Would you like to…?" Michael started.

"I'd love to." Alyssa replied, and this time she let Michael take the lead and she smiled in his arms.


	48. Chapter 48

"Alexis, it's nice to see you." Jax said standing in the lobby of the hotel although he was confused as to what she might be doing there.

"I was looking for you." She replied.

"You found me."

"What are you doing here?" She asked wondering why he would be working while dealing with an infant at the house and a possible divorce case.

"I gave Olivia the day off and Marty had plans this morning, so… I just had a little bit of paper work to do."

"Have you heard more from Carly?"

"No. She talked to Morgan for a bit last night, but apparently it was a long day for her." They had paused the movie so Morgan could talk to his mom but she claimed she was falling asleep before he could hand the phone off to either Jax or Bobbie.

"Do you know if she's contacted Dianne yet?"

"No, why? Must we discuss this now?" Jax asked looking around the room at all the guests marching by in their own routine.

"No, you're right. I'm sorry. I actually wanted to invite you, Britni, and Morgan over this afternoon. The girls are home for the weekend and I thought you might enjoy another game night."

"That sounds like fun. Britni and I are in; I'll ask Morgan, but I imagine Bobbie would like the evening off. It's been wonderful having her around."

"I bet, when do you expect to introduce Lady Jane to her granddaughter?"

"She's been asking me the same thing. I thought it was a good idea if everything was settled with Jerry first. God knows hearing about his involvement in Michael's shooting is going to tear her apart."

"I hadn't even thought about that." Alexis replied.

"I know. It's hard for me to see the person Jerry has become as the big brother I loved and respected growing up, and it makes me sick that I protected him."

"Yeah, well, I know a thing or two about psychotic family members." The Cassadine's had a long line of those.

Jax smirked. "Maybe we shouldn't compare notes." He wasn't sure he could win that one.

"I'll let you get to work. See you this afternoon?"

"Count on it."

**********

Lulu walked into the haunted star with a worried expression.

"What did the bastard do to you?" Ethan asked afraid the doctor may have hurt her in some way.

"What? Oh nothing. Matt has been great. I just got off the phone with Elizabeth and she was wondering if anyone has heard from Lucky. It's been over a week since she's talked to him."

"No, can't say that I have, and our dear old dad took off again." Ethan commented. He would have said something earlier, but the Spencer children seemed accustomed to Luke leaving town without notice.

"That didn't take long." Lulu quipped.

"Oh, there you are." Maxie said almost running into Lulu all out of breath.

"I told you Maxie, the New Years lay-out is fine. It's at the printers and will be ready to pick up first thing Monday morning."

"That's not why I'm here, Spinelli is missing."

"What do you mean missing?" Lulu asked.

"As in not at the pent house, not at his office, and not answering his phone, text, or e-mail." She explained.

"When did he disappear?" Ethan asked.

"Thursday, I think. I've been so busy at the office I lost track, but we were supposed to get together today." Maxie replied.

"That's when the ol' man took off." Ethan added.

"Okay, so Lucky is supposedly at some police training, and what about Sam? Where has she been? Then her partner and our dad disappear, what is going on?" Lulu tried adding the pieces together.

"We could ask the police commissioner about this police training that Lucky would be going to." Ethan suggested. Both Spencer siblings looked over to the police commissioner's daughter.

"I guess I could call Mac." Maxie volunteered. Lulu encouraged her. "You mean now?"

"Yeah!" Lulu answered.

Maxie pulled her cell phone out and walked out auditory range.

"Do you think it's all connected?" Ethan asked Lulu.

"Well, it'd be quite the coincidence if it wasn't, and if there is some kind of case going on it might explain why Lucky hasn't called Elizabeth."

"If there is a case going on, what are we going to do about it?" Ethan asked.

"Probably nothing, unless they've gotten themselves into trouble."

"Luke, in trouble? No way." Ethan smiled.

"So, what did he say?" Lulu asked and Maxie came back.

"He couldn't tell me much, but he didn't know of any training Lucky may have been sent to." Maxie answered. "In fact, he said that Lucky turned his badge over to DA Davis."

"Do we ask the DA?" Ethan asked.

"She won't tell us anything, but I think I may know someone that she might." Lulu said and headed out.

***********

"This is amazing, Sonny." Claudia said out on the patio standing under the Tuscan sun and starring out at the Tyrrhenian Sea.

"I'm glad you like it." He replied and handed her a mug of fresh brewed coffee.

"It feels safe." She admitted. "How long do you think we will stay?"

"Until we're ready to go home." There were a lot of reasons they needed to be away. When Carly miscarried he took her to the Island, but the last time he was there he realized just how much his ex-wife had left an impact on his memory of the place. He needed to bring Claudia to a place that could be special to them.

"That might be awhile." She replied and took a sip of coffee.

"What do you want to do today?" Sonny asked. "Besides bask in the heat of the Mediterranean?"

Claudia smiled. "You mean that's not enough?"

"Well, if that's what you really want."

"I still don't get it." Claudia commented.

"You don't get what?"

"Why you're being so nice to me."

"Do you really want to go there right now?"

"Yes, I have to." She responded. In order to feel completely secure she had to know that he had truly forgiven her.

"I knew it. I knew you hired the hit. I'm not exactly sure when I did. If I had to guess it was sometime between you telling me your father shot Kate and Michael's surgery." He answered. "For some reason you stood by my side. I was horrible and accused you of everything wrong in my life, and you stayed."

"Everything I did was in attempt to protect myself from you finding the truth."

"No, you would have left. You could have faked your death like Jerry did. Instead you cared about what I thought about you, and that's probably because you knew what I tried hard to ignore."

"What's that?"

"That you are the only relationship that I've been in that actually makes sense."

"Wow, we're logical, that's encouraging." Claudia stated sarcastically.

"Let me try to explain that."

Claudia sat on the lounge chair indicating he had the floor.

"I placed my mother on a pedestal. She was this angelic type person who besides having horrible taste in men could do no wrong, and I think for most of my life I wanted someone like her to protect and take care of, or maybe I thought that they could save me."

"You're calling Carly angelic?" Claudia laughed.

"No, Carly broke the mold. I hated her before we got together."

"Okay, that really is encouraging." She smiled finding out that the person he probably had the most successful relationship with was the one he loathed to begin with.

"But even someone as strong willed as Carly I eventually tore down, and to think after that there was Kate, she was shot twice before we were ever married."

"So I make sense because I've already survived this business?" Claudia questioned. "Because I'm no angel who has any inclination of trying to save you?"

"Pretty much." Sonny replied. "But you have to admit when we are on the same side we do make a pretty decent team."

"Watch out anyone caught in the crossfire when we aren't." She added then realized the last person caught in that crossfire was his son. "I'm sorry, that was…"

"No, you're right."

"What about Carly and Jason. I mean they are bound to find out."

"Yeah. Jason won't touch you if I tell him not to." Sonny replied.

"Are you sure about that?" She had some serious doubts about Jason's loyalty.

"He'll hate you, and probably me, but no, he won't kill you."

"And Carly?"

"Jason will talk her down."

"How?" Claudia asked. When she found out her baby had died the first instinct was tearing the head off of the person responsible, unfortunately as the situation was nobody was really at fault. She couldn't hold it against Michael.

"I don't know how he does, he just does." Sonny motioned her to sit forward in the chair so he could sit behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and started rubbing.

"Sonny, what happened with Ric?" Claudia questioned hoping to keep the honesty up between them. She knew their relationship was tenuous, at best, and something had gone down to make Jason a life-long enemy.

"He came to town jealous and bitter of the relationship that I was able to have with our mother."

"Knowing Trevor, I understand." Claudia commented.

"Yeah, well, somewhere in his convoluted thinking he decided that a fitting revenge would be to take advantage of my drugged wife and bring her a hotel room and make her think that they slept together."

"Wow."

"And then after his wife lost her baby he blamed me, and kidnapped Carly while she was pregnant with Morgan. He placed her in a panic room where he was going to keep her until she gave birth and threatened to kill her afterwards. When she attempted to escape he put a cuff on her ankle that was chained to the wall."

Claudia shook her head. "Why did you let him live?"

"He let her go, and helped rescue her from Alcazar's yacht, but mostly because he was Adela's son. I don't know if Jason and Carly ever got over me letting him off."

"And they're really not going to understand this."

"No."


	49. Chapter 49

Carly sat in the waiting room following her appointment for Dr. Rowan to call her in for the test results. Jason held her hand. He could tell she was anxious. It seemed to her that for every step she climbed she fell back three more. She was not sure how much she had left. The typical fire she had in her had smothered, her golden skin pale, and purple bags hung under her eyes.

"I now know why they don't recommend people donating blood on a daily basis." She tried to kid.

Jason just looked out and squeezed her hand.

Dr. Rowan stepped out into the waiting area. "Sorry about the delay. Come on back."

Carly attempted to read the doctor's expression. She had a hard time determining if the news was good or bad.

"Please sit." The doctor encourage as they followed her into the office. "I got a chance to review the test results, and they look good. The bleeding as stopped and the swelling has decreased significantly."

Carly gasped in relief; she didn't realize she was holding her breath in anticipation.

"The blood work also appears the way we want it. I wrote out your prescription. The pharmacy is open today until 4 pm. I'm going to ask that you start self-administration tomorrow."

Carly smiled. "Does that mean we are done with this?"

"Yes, unless we find a problem. I'm going to give you tomorrow completely off, and then I want you to stop in anytime before noon on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a simple blood test. On Friday I'd like to schedule a two o'clock with you for final results, and as long as everything stays normal you could be on your way home this time next week."

"Thank you." She cried. All she wanted was to see and hold her children again.

"You're welcome. Now go, get out of here."

As soon as they left the office Carly threw her arms around Jason. "We did it!" She knew she couldn't have without him.

"Yeah, we did." He smiled and pushed her hair behind her ears with his thumbs. He leaned forward and fought the urge to meet her lips instead kissed at the hairline.

He took a deep breath, and for the first time since hearing about her diagnosis he truly felt like it was over and she was going to be okay.

**********

"Not that I mind seeing you, and Spencer loves playing with the boys, but why did you come all the way out here?" Nikolas asked Elizabeth.

He was stunned when his butler, Alfred, announced the entrance of the beautiful Elizabeth Webber and her two young sons. He had just gotten back from his morning ride and was about to spend some one-on-one time with his four-year-old. When they arrived Spencer showed Cam and Jake to the play room, or play wing as it were.

"Are they okay by themselves?" Elizabeth asked.

"There is a nanny watching them."

"Okay." Elizabeth replied feeling like the only parent in Port Charles without hired help. "Um… I was wondering if you have heard from Lucky."

"No, why?"

"He hasn't called me in a little over a week, and I have no idea where he is. This isn't like him." She explained.

"Do you think my grandmother might be involved?" Nikolas jumped to the worse case scenario. It would not be the first time Helena Cassadine targeted Lucky, and she disappeared again after Luke's escape.

"No, I don't think so. Lulu thinks he went on a case with Sam, but as far as I know nobody has heard from them, or if they have, they've disappeared too." Liz explained both Spinelli and Luke's disappearance.

"What kind of case?" He pressed.

"I don't know. Lucky told me that he was going to training, but Lulu got Maxie to ask Mac about it, and he implied that whatever Lucky was up to he was using personal time to do it."

"Wait, let me get this right. You are giving me information about what Lulu told you Maxie said about a conversation she had with Mac?" He replied feeling like it was a game of telephone. "What exactly do you want me to do about it, and what are you, Lulu, and Maxie going to do if I do find him?"

"I just want confirmation that the man helping me raise my children is okay." Liz replied.

"I'm sorry. I can tell that you are worried, but if he is on a case then he probably isn't involving you to protect you." Nikolas looked into her teary eyes.

"I know, but what if he gets hurt and goes back on pain medication, or…"

"Or what? Are you sure you aren't more afraid of Lucky getting back together with Sam?"

"No." She objected. "I don't know if things are ever going to work out between us, and I want him to be happy."

"Okay, then what is it that I can do for you?"

"Talk to your aunt. Lulu said…"

She saw Nik roll his eyes at the mention of the telephone game.

"Lulu said that he handed his badge over to Alexis before he left. With that and Sam being her daughter, if anyone knows what they are up to or where they might be it would probably be her."

Nikolas understood the reasoning. He could only imagine that if she didn't have any clue where Sam was that his aunt would probably be knocking down his door to find her. "And since it's my brother and cousin…"

"She would probably be more willing to tell you."

"Okay, fine. I will go later tonight, but only to confirm that they are okay. I don't need you and Lulu trying to play detective."

"Thank you." She already felt comforted knowing Nik was going to help. "Now let's see what those boys are up to."

**********

"No, we are not playing Cranium again." Kristina objected.

"Well I'm not playing Yatzee." Molly complained.

"How about Scrabble?" Jax suggested. "It's always a classic."

"No!" The kids all opposed.

"Why don't we let Morgan decide?" Alexis chimed in.

Morgan looked at the pile of board games they had laid out in the Davis' living room. He liked the idea of Cranium but since there were an odd number of people playing he decided to go for one that did not require teams.

"Here, this one." Morgan said pulling out Clue.

"Good choice. That was always one of my favorites." Alexis commented. She remembered playing it with her friends in prep school.

"I'm Miss Scarlet." Kristina called.

"That's no fair; you got to be her last time." Molly responded. For some reason they always fought over that piece.

"Girls, cut it out of Jax, Morgan, and Britni are going home now and you will be sent to your rooms." Alexis threatened.

"Fine, I'll be Mrs. White." Molly conceded.

Alexis set up the board and picked out Mrs. Peacock who tended to be her lucky character. Jax took Coronel Mustard, and Morgan grabbed Mr. Green. Alexis took a card from each pile to set out and then started dealing.

"Where's Michael?" Kristina asked.

"I called him. He said he might stop by later but he had some homework to get done first." Morgan explained.

"He took a couple of days off of school this week and needs to catch up." Jax clarified.

"I heard about the accident." Kristina said solemn. "I wish I could have made it to the memorial, but I had a big class presentation due that day."

She had called her dad to send her condolences after she heard about the miscarriage.

"Your turn." Molly said to Kristina as she checked something odd on her score card. Kristina rolled the dice and put Miss Scarlet in the library.

"I can't believe how big Britni has gotten since Thanksgiving." Commented Alexis. Jax had brought her floor gym which seemed to pacify the infant. Morgan looked over at his baby sister and started playing peek-a-boo causing the infant to giggle.

"I remember when I use to do that with Molly. So precious." Kristina recalled. "Treasure it, it doesn't last long."

"Hey!" Molly pushed her.

"Girls." Alexis glared.

"She started it." Molly grumbled, and then scooted away a little bit.

"Can I get anybody a drink?" Alexis asked after finishing her turn. She got up to get herself some lemonade.

"Whatever you are having." Jax called out.

Morgan, Molly, and Kristina made the order easy by asking for the same.

"Here, let me help you out with that." Jax offered as she attempted to juggle the five glasses.

Morgan had solved the case when they heard a knock on the door. Kristina got up to let Michael in, and greeted her with a hug. He walked the hundred steps it took to get to the coffee table they were playing around.

"Let me guess." Michael teased. "It was Professor Plum, in the study, with the wrench."

"How did you know?" Morgan asked.

"You mean I'm right?" Michael laughed.

"That was going to be my guess." Morgan replied and looked at the cards that were held out. He placed them out one at a time to reveal exactly that.

"Cool." Michael shrugged.

"Do you want to play a game?" Jax asked.

"Actually." Michael gritted his teeth. "I was invited down to the pool hall with some friends and was wondering if Kristina would want to go."

"Mom?" Kristina asked. The pool hall was a new spot in town that was a lot more suitable for teens than Jakes.

"Okay, but be home by eleven."

"Thank you mom." Kristina gave Alexis a hug, and the two teens heading out.


	50. Chapter 50

"This is quite the celebration." Jason commented as they were sitting on the beach with the stars overhead. They had a bottle of champagne with two flutes and Carly wrapped in her quilt. He noticed her still shivering. "Are you cold?"

"A little bit." She confessed and he held her closer to maintain body heat.

"You know, we could go inside."

She felt his biceps tighten against her shoulders. "No, I like it here."

"Are you tired?" He asked as she laid her head back into him.

"Tired, not sleepy." She explained.

He understood. "What would you like the next toast to be?" Jason asked. They had already toasted to the clinic and her recovery.

"It's your turn." She replied.

"Okay, how about trust and friendship?" He held his glass out.

"Now that I can drink to." She clanked her glass against his and took another drink. "My turn?"

He nodded.

"To life; however short it may be may we treasure every moment of it." She said reflecting on the fears that she had been feeling since her diagnosis. He thought back to the dream he had when Carly was slipping, and the song that was playing.

"To time and the people we chose to share it with." He added. Carly turned to face him, and attempted to hit her glass against his but fell forward instead. He went with it and laid back planted in the sand.

"Sorry, still working on that alcohol tolerance thing." She smiled.

He just gazed into her eyes in the moonlight and blurted out. "I love you."

"I love you too." She replied and rested her head on his shoulder. "You are my best friend."

With his hand rested again her back he gently massaged his thumb against her spine and debated continuing. "When I told you to be with Sonny I thought I gave you up. I was going to let you go without looking back."

She didn't say anything, but her gaze focused on his lips as she kept listening.

"It wasn't until your heart stopped that I realized what it meant to continue on without you. I couldn't do it."

"Are you saying…?"

"I'm in love with you." He spelt it out.

She reached her hand up to cradle his neck as she kissed him. She held on as long as she could and lingered more tenderly and passionately then she could ever remember them kissing before. Carly only pulled away to catch her breath.

"Hey." He said in reaction to the deer in the headlights stare. "Carly?"

"He… he told me that you felt that way." She stuttered.

"Who? Jax?"

She nodded.

"But you didn't believe him?" He questioned.

"I couldn't." She responded. "If he was wrong, and you didn't then I'd have to go through the heartbreak of losing you all over again."

"And if I did?" He asked the more relevant question.

"I… I'm dreaming."

"No you're not." He assured her.

"Then exactly how drunk am I?"

"Not much beyond tipsy."

She pressed her head against her elbow resting on top of him.

"Carly, I'm sorry if this is too much."

"Too much? It's what I've always wanted." She popped her head up and cried.. "Right now it's you and me facing the world, but when I go home…"

"It's always been you and me facing the world, don't you see that?" Jason replied.

She took a while to come up with her reply. She knew that they needed to talk about it and figure out what it meant, but not at that moment. Instead she pressed her lips against his and let all her doubts suspend somewhere between space and time.

**********

"Thanks for the invite." Kristina said when she stepped out of the car.

"Thank you for driving." Michael replied.

"You're welcome. Why is it again that you have be drive your bran spanking new vehicle?"

"I've had some issues following the accident." He admitted.

Kristina giggled. "You've had some issues long before that."

"Oh thanks for the support, sis."

"Sorry." She gave him her puppy dog eyes that teenage girls had down to an art form. "But you did drive to my house just fine."

"Apparently I don't care if I'm endangering my own life." He explained. He still flashed to the blood dripping down Alyssa's face when he had a passenger. "Let's go inside."

"Okay, but I think you may need to see a shrink." She teased.

"Yeah, me and everyone else in this town."  
"Michael!" Alyssa greeted him warmly. "How are you doing Kristina?"

"Great." She smiled. "I'm glad you two worked everything out."

Alyssa looked questioningly to Michael who shrugged. He may have called Kristina after finding out his mother was unavailable to talk that day.

"We just started." Kevin indicated. "Trish and I are stripes."

"Which would make us solids?" He asked Alyssa figuring they would team up. "Are you in Krissy?"

"No, you guys go ahead."

"Are you sure?" Alyssa pressed. "I'm horrible at this so if we took turns in may actually help Michael out."

"Okay, if you insist."

"Well, it's somebody on your teams turn." Trish pointed out.

"Go for it." Michael invited his sister. She didn't hesitate in approaching the table but seemed to get distracted as she made the bridge with her knuckles.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa asked.

"Keiffer." She replied directing her gaze at her ex.

"That schmuk over there?" Kevin asked. He could tell by looking at him that the guy was a stereotypical Prep school jerk who got the whole world handed to him on a silver platter.

"That would be him." Michael replied. "Krissy, you are better off without him."

"I know." She said and sunk the 6 ball into the corner pocket.

"What did he do?" Trish asked noticing the look of pain and longing on her face.

"Nothing." She shrugged it off but missed the next shot. He had attempted to get her to sleep with him, and when she refused he hit her then apologized profusely. She forgave him until he tried again a couple weeks later, and then ran off with another girl to make her jealous.

"I'm going to grab us some sodas." Kristina offered. "What do you guys want?"

"How about a pitcher of Pepsi and then five glasses?" Alyssa suggested. "Here, I can go with you."

As the two girls walked away from the table Trish looked to Michael. "She knows not to tell her mother about you and Alyssa, right?"

"She won't say anything." He trusted her enough to understand that with her mom working with his dad is was best to keep quiet.

"Hi K." Keiffer greeted her at the counter.

"I asked you not to call me that anymore." She replied coldly.

"Look, I've said that I was sorry. I still care about you."

She rolled her eyes. "Save your lines for Tara."

"I can't… I can't leave her."

"Why not?" She asked. Not that she would consider taking him back, or at least she hoped that she wouldn't consider it.

"Because she's pregnant."

"What?!" She was scared stiff at the idea that had she given in to him it could be her. "When did you find out?"

"About a month ago." He answered; which was when he seemed to stop pursuing her.

"What did your parents say?"

"They told me that I have to get a job to support her. That's actually why I came tonight, to pick up an application. It was my mistake, and they refuse to bail me out of it."

"What about Harvard?" Kristina asked wondering how badly his future would be derailed by this.

"I don't know. I sent in the application this week, but I really don't know."

"Is there a problem here?" Alyssa asked with a tray of munchies.

"No." Kristina replied and grabbed the pitcher. "Let's go. Good luck, Keiffer."

"What did he want?" Michael asked. His attention was set on Keiffer as soon as Kristina stepped away. He never trusted the guy and was going to keep his eye out for any sign of distress.

She shook her head. "He told me his new girlfriend is pregnant."

"That guy is going to be a father? Now that's just plain scary." Kevin commented. "Your turn Corinthos."

Michael studied Kristina's reaction trying to figure out how badly the news stung. As she appeared relieved he took his shot.

"How well do you know that guy from last night?" Trish asked Michael.

"Why would you be interested in that?" Kevin appeared jealous.

"What guy?" Kristina asked.

"Dante." Michael replied. "He's kind of like a big brother."

"You think he's cute, don't you?" Kristina teased. When she first met him she felt the same way, but as he started working for her dad and looking after them as a bodyguard she started seeing him more as a brother.

"He's seeing someone." She replied.

"That's new." Kristina chimed in.

"And so are you." Kevin added.

"You're the one that said you didn't want to define anything." Trish re-directed.

"Oh, and that gives you the right to ogle other men?"

"Um… yeah, I'm pretty sure it does." Michael defended her.

"Okay, fine then, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I thought you would never ask." She replied and kissed him.

Michael snickered as he took his next shot. It was funny watching the games played by men and women to manipulate each other into getting what they wanted. As the game finished Michael looked at the time and realized he had to get Kristina back to the lake house.

"You're driving this time." Kristina pressed.

"Krissy…"

"Come on, just do it." She said handing him back the keys. "I'll sit in the back if you need me to, you won't even notice I'm there."

"That's ridiculous." He said and opened the passenger's door for her.

He put the key in the ignition and took a breath before turning it. He refused to look over at Kristina before putting the car in reverse and backing out of the spot. He felt better as he got to the road and looked over to his sister and smiled. "Thank you."

"Maybe you don't need a shrink after all."

**********

Morgan and Molly were in Molly's room playing with his Nintendo DS, and Britni was asleep in her car seat. She was up to about five hours of sleep at a time which was a relief to both Jax and Bobbie.

"I still think that you were my most successful relationship ever." Jax told his friend. Their marriage was based on convenience but it laid the groundwork for their friendship.

"Oh, come on. You have been married to Carly for what three-four years now?"

"Something like that." He replied. "But I don't want to try to count the number of months that one of us has spent lying to the other."

Their relationship had been rocky. When it was good it was fantastic, but outside forces kept spoiling that. Both were at fault. Jax spent too much of the early relationship trying to bail out his brother, and then Carly kept running to Jason for support or Sonny as a form of self-destruction.

"I just find it interesting that Carly is the one playing the victim." Alexis sneered. "As if she's one to talk."

"The renewal of our vows was supposed to be a new beginning for us. I ruined that."

"I wonder what Mrs. Jax is doing right now?" Alexis commented. Jax didn't want to imagine. She was alone with the one person she always wanted, but never thought she could have.

"Probably something like this." Jax leaned in to kiss Alexis, and she gladly accepted it. She grabbed the back of his head with both hands and he started unbuttoning her top.

"Nikolas." Alexis stopped.

"The door was unlocked." Nikolas replied. His expression appeared both disgusted and disappointed.

"I…um…" Alexis was tongue tied.

"I should really bring Morgan and Britni home." Jax said getting up and yelled for Morgan to get going.

"Hi Nikolas." Morgan said as Nik stood stationery on his way out.

"Bye Morgan!" Molly called out before the door shut.

Alexis sat on the couch with a guilty conscience and finished buttoning her top.

"That was abrupt." Molly said looking at her mom and cousin.

"Um, honey, can Nikolas and I talk in private?"

"Sure. I was going to clean up and go to bed." She said and went over to her mom to give her a hug.

"Goodnight." Alexis whispered in her ear.

"Goodnight Nikolas." Molly added, and he waved.

"Please sit." She said feeling uncomfortable; especially since he barely said a word. "Do you want to comment on what you walked in on?"

"No." He shook his head. There was no love loss between him and Jax and she knew that. The part that bothered him the most was Carly's baby laying in the car seat less than twenty feet away.

Alexis sighed. "I imagine this is important."

"I thought you might be worried about the whereabouts of your daughter, but apparently I am mistaken."

"What do you mean?"  
"I was wondering if you knew where Sam and Lucky were."

"Oh. Actually, no." She replied, but her worry was genuine.

"But you do know something?" Nikolas pressed.

It didn't take much pressure to get her to talk. He had already caught her off guard as it was. She confessed everything she knew about the case they were on. It was easier for her to talk about that than what had just happened. Primarily because she wasn't quite sure what happened, or how far they were willing to let it go. "The last time I talked to Sam she was in Miami, and Jerry had just evaded them."

"Do you know anything about Luke and Spinelli getting called into it?" Nikolas asked.

"No, I hadn't heard that."

"Okay, thanks for your help." He responded and started to get up.

"Nikolas, you're not going to tell anybody about this?"

"About what?" He wasn't sure if she was referring to her indiscretion on the couch or the case.

"Preferably neither, but I understand if the family is worried about Lucky."

"Just remember that it's his psycho brother that you sent your daughter after."

"You know better than anybody else that at times the apple really does fall from the tree." Alexis responded. In this case Jerry was the runaway; in her opinion both Jasper and his father were descent human beings.

"Yet you still reach for the forbidden fruit. Regardless of where it lands." Nikolas replied and closed the door behind him.


	51. Chapter 51

Dante sat outside of Kelly's with a hot cup of coffee hoping to enjoy the scenery as it ran towards him. "Hey gorgeous." He smiled.

Caitlyn slowed her pace down to a walk as she saw him, and then took the headphones out of her ears. "You know, you could just call."

"Yeah, I could, but then I wouldn't get to bask in your company."

"Right, my sweaty and gross company."  
"Well, I wouldn't say that, maybe glistening." He replied. "Although, as an ex-cop I should warn ya you may want to mix up your trail a bit. You have no idea what kind of crazy's are out there that could stalk ya."

"I'll take that into consideration." She said and then started placing the headphones from her MP3 player back into her ears.

"Wait, you are not going to stay? Have a drink maybe?" Dante asked.

"I still have another mile to go." She said looking at her pedometer. "But, tell you what, there's a barista down the street from my apartment. Let me un-glisten and I will meet you there in an hour?"

"What's the name of the place?" Dante asked not knowing what part of town her apartment was in.

"Something about Corinthos Coffee. You know it?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it." Dante responded being that it was Sonny's corporate office.

**********

Jason let Carly sleep in as late as she needed to. It seemed as if the bad dreams had finally passed the last couple of nights, and there were no appointments that they needed to rush off to. His thoughts kept going back to the prior night. He had been waiting for what seemed to be forever to tell her how he felt, but knew that it meant forever changing their relationship. They had been everything to each other, but it had been a long time since they had been lovers and they very nearly destroyed each other.

Carly opened her eyes to see Jason staring down on her with a loving gaze. Any doubt she had about the prior night being a dream was shattered in that waking moment. She wasn't sure how she had missed it before.

"I got a call from the concierge. A room has opened up. If you want me to take it I will." Jason stated wanting to make things as simple as he could for her.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Carly grabbed his hand and guided him on the bed. "What do you say about breakfast, or brunch, and then check out some shops in the downtown Georgetown area."

"Shopping?" Jason questioned.

"I haven't been able to pick up anything for the kids yet, and can you imagine how adorable Britni would look in one of those Southern bonnets?"

"You are in a good mood."

"Yeah well, this is a new beginning, right? I've just been told that I'm healthy and I'm going to start living again."

"That's good, you should." He nodded.

"I was going to start by taking a shower." She said suggestively.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." She smirked.

He smiled and looked away knowing what she was getting at. "Maybe we should take this one step at a time." He backed down.

"Okay." She sat up and kissed him on the forehead then dropped her nightgown before shutting the bathroom door. Jason was enticed, but knew Carly was impulsive and was afraid of moving too fast. He was happy seeing her spark back, and that was enough for him to hold onto for the time being.

*********

"What are we doing here?" Lulu asked in the living room of Elizabeth's house. Liz, Ethan, and Maxie were all seated on the couch.

"I don't know. Nik invited everybody here. He should be here any minute." Elizabeth responded.

As she finished the sentence there was another knock on the door and Lulu went to let her brother in.

"So?" Maxie asked.

"I thought I would cut out the phone tree by inviting everybody together." He also figured that Liz' place would be more convenient then the ferry to Wyndemere.

"What did you find out?" Liz asked.

"Not much actually. Lulu, you were right. Sam and Lucky are working a case together. Spinelli located evidence supporting the accusation that Claudia was the person responsible for hiring Ian Devlin in Michael's shooting." He stated.

"Oh my God." Lulu reacted. She remembered the night it happened and the fight she had with Johnny. She recalled visiting Carly in the hospital the next day swearing that he had nothing to do with it.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked.

"Not really." She said resting her head against her hand that was propped up from the edge of the couch. "Keep going." She urged Nikolas.

"The evidence was a DVD made by Jerry Jax confessing both his and Claudia's level of involvement, and it had been sent to and viewed by Carly."

"Jerry Jax? As in Mr. Craig? That is who Lucky and Sam are hunting down?" Liz figured it out.

"Okay, but what does Spinelli have to do with this? He doesn't do field work." Maxie added.

"That I don't know. Alexis said that the last time she spoke to Sam was Monday. They were in Miami but probably heading out. She didn't know where to."

"Alright, Maxie did you talk to Spinelli at all between Monday and Thursday?" Lulu pressed.

Maxie thought about it as everyone stared at her. "You know, that's kind of creepy."

"Think." Elizabeth urged. Maxie wasn't her favorite person, especially since she helped facilitate Lucky's pain pill addiction in order to get him to sleep with her, and she really didn't have the patience now.

"Wait, he did say something about booking tickets to San Antonio, and I asked him what on earth he would take me to Texas, and he said they weren't for us, and so I dropped it. Actually I was working on a spread sheet so I shouldn't really have been on the phone in the first place, and I told him I had to go, and he said that he would see me, well, yesterday."

"When was that?" Ethan asked hoping the rambling was finished.

"Tuesday, I remember because that was the day that I was working on the New Years lay out."

"Okay, does anyone here have a computer?" Nikolas asked.

"Yeah, hang on." Liz went into her study to find her laptop.

"This is bad, isn't it?" Ethan gathered from the seriousness of everyone's expressions.

"Jerry is almost as bad as Helena." Lulu explained.

"What are we going to do?" Ethan asked.

"The plan is still to find out if Lucky and Sam are okay." Nikolas explained.

"At least one of them was able to contact dad and Spinelli as some sort of reinforcement. That's encouraging." Lulu added.

"What are we looking for?" Elizabeth asked bringing up the internet search engine.

"Here, let me look." Nikolas replied. He looked up any local news for San Antonio for the days early that week. "I think I found something."

There was a story about a small explosion at the Alamo. No victims were reported, but witnesses said that a male guest was thrown back but denied medical assistance. He and a female left the scene before the cops arrived. The local police department was still looking into the perpetrator of the explosion, but there was an alarm in the area for a medium build man with an English accent who had mob affiliations.

"That was Tuesday?" Lulu asked. She wasn't sure if hearing the story made her feel any better about the situation.

"Yes." Nik replied feeling the same way she did.

"Okay, I have an idea." Lulu replied.

"What's that?" Maxie asked.

Lulu took out her cell phone and dialed her brother's number. "Hi Lucky. It's me, again. I'm here with Liz, Nik, Ethan, and Maxie. We know what you are up to, and we understand why you didn't want to involve any of us, but we really need to hear that you and Sam are okay. Please, just get back to one of us or we will keep digging."

"That should do it." Nik commented.

"Maxie, Ethan let's go to McCall and Jackal PI, let's see if we can find anything on the computer." Lulu suggested.

"We'll call you if we hear anything." Liz said.

"We will do the same." Ethan added.

***********

Jax went to the office early. He was having a hard time being in the house designed by Carly, in the bed he shared with Carly, with Carly's mother down the hall. He hoped being at work could distract him, but to no avail. Everything reminded him of the life he shared with his wife.

"Am I interrupting?" Olivia asked after knocking on the open door.

"No, come in." He invited.

"I didn't expect to see you in today."

"I had to go out for awhile." He admitted.

"What's bothering you? The 3 am feedings?"

"No." He shook his head. "And actually they are currently at midnight and 5 am."

"So?" She pressed.

"Carly wants a divorce." He blurted.

Olivia sighed. "Am I to assume she found out about Mrs. Corinthos' hired hit?" Olivia had found out as Jax viewed the disc for the first time.

"You pinned the needle in the horses back."

"How did she take it? I mean, besides the obvious."

"Which time?"

Olivia looked confused. He quickly explained about the night of the collapse, the argument they had, and how he hoped that as soon as she got back from the clinic he could explain everything.

"Do you think Jason told her?" She asked noticing a certain amount of animosity anytime he mentioned Jason's name. "That doesn't really sound like him."

"It would make it easier if I could believe that. I would appreciate being able to shift the blame, but no. After waking up from his coma Michael mentioned hearing bits and pieces of what was said to him, usually when he was dreaming."

"You don't think she lost the memory of the argument." Olivia gathered.

"No, I think it got buried in her unconscious and just happened to come out before I had the chance to tell her."

"Maybe it's not too late. No paperwork has even been started yet. Go to her. Take your jet to South Carolina and really talk to her." Olivia pushed.

Jax looked at her playing with the end of the pen that was in his hand.

"What? What am I missing?"

"I'm pretty sure she's probably been with Jason by now." He cringed.

"Wow. You're jumping to some big conclusions there. Why would she do that?" Olivia asked. She had only known Carly for the past year, but from what she saw Carly was completely devoted to her husband.

"Because she had always carried a torch for Morgan, and now he's returning the feelings."

"And you know for sure that they are sleeping together?" She questioned. "Look, I don't really know their history, but I think you owe it to the both of you to find out the truth before you find yourself doing something you may regret later."

"Maybe." Jax responded. Luckily nothing had done farther the prior night.


	52. Chapter 52

"Are we going to pretend that last night didn't happen?" Carly asked sitting across from Jason at the restaurant.

"Were you planning on finishing that?" Jason asked noticing her playing with the fork, but not actually putting anything in her mouth.

"No." She said setting the utensil down.

"No, I don't want to pretend that last night didn't happen, but neither one of us are the same person we were the last time we were together."

Carly couldn't understand why that would be a bad thing. Their relationship had grown into something much better than 'the boy with no name,' and the last time they made a go at it Carly destroyed what they could have been by giving into her worse impulses. "So? We've grown and I've matured. Come on, you have to give me credit for that?"

Jason smiled. "Yes, thank God!"

Her jaw dropped not expecting such a strong reaction from him

"What? I don't think I'd have the energy to keep up with that girl."

"What are you saying Jase? Are you getting rusty?"

"I wasn't talking about that." Jason objected. "We have been alone for the past week and emotions have been high."

"Are you afraid that when I go home to my kids and Jax that I will realize that is my life, and this, us, is just fantasy?"

The thought had crossed his mind. When he chose his career in the mob he didn't have any comprehension of the sacrifices he would have to make to keep the people he cared about safe. Carly had already been through too much because of the business. Her relationship with Jax was supposed to protect her from that. He thought it was selfish to ask her to give that up, to bring her right back to the life that nearly cost her sanity.

"Tell me that was not exactly what you were feeling last night?" Jason challenged her.

"What do you want Jase? And please, if only for once in your life be selfish. Don't tell me what you think is best for me."

Jason spent so long denying what he wanted to really know how to answer that. He didn't realize how much he wanted a family until Carly gave him Michael, but it wasn't until his son, Jake, was born that he truly felt how dangerous having a family could be. Carly hated Elizabeth for making him feel that way. He was the one person that made her feel completely safe, and she needed him to know that.

"It's not just about you and me though." Jason replied.

"Forget everything else, what do you want?" She asked.

He wasn't the best at opening up but being with her made it easy. "Fine, what I want is to fly you to the Dominican Republic as soon as the clean bill of health comes in. Get a quick divorce before going to Port Charles and start my life with you and love your children as my own."

"You forgot something." She smiled.

"What's that?"

"The hottest sex we've ever had."

"Oh no, can't forget that." He grinned.

Carly wanted to make that dream a reality for the both of them. "There's too many assets and details to go over for the Dominican Republic route, and honestly if it weren't for Britni I may be inclined to say screw it and give him everything, but I need to make this as amicable as I can for our daughter."

"I understand."

Carly held his hands from across the table. "But Jase, I'm not going to let you go."

**********

"I'll have a nonfat hazelnut latte." Caitlyn ordered.

"Nonfat?" Dante asked coming up from behind her. "You know, I think you burnt enough calories this morning to counteract the extra cream."

"And I suppose you wouldn't believe that I actually prefer it that way?"

Dante shook his head.

"Nonfat, please." She dictated again to the now confused barista.

"Are you getting anything, sir?" He asked.

"Sure, I'll take the sugariest thing you have."

"Awe, so you're a fru fru drinker." Caitlyn teased.

The barista looked at them not sure how to ring up his order.

"Caramel Macchiato." Caitlyn came up with something as she picked up on the poor boy's hesitance.

"I've actually never tried that before." Dante confessed, but impressed by her decisiveness. As they received the order and sat at a table someone walked out from the back door. Dante turned away to avoid eye contact. He wasn't sure why he didn't want her to know he worked for Sonny quite yet, it wasn't as if it was a town secret.

"It that?" Caitlyn started.

"Johnny Zacchara himself? Yep." Dante answered.

"Wow, so much cuter in person than the mug shots."

"Excuse me?" Dante feigned being offended.

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is Port Charles. The only celebrities in town are the criminals."

"You mean you knew who Corinthos and Morgan were before suggesting this place?" Dante asked wondering what else she might know.

"Sonny and Jason? Yeah, from what I understand they are kind of like the John Dillinger's of this generation. Criminals? Sure, but they don't get their jolly's from hurting innocent people."

"Are you a fan of all Johnny Depp movies?" He asked referring to the latest which romanticized the Mid-Western Robin Hood.

"Ever since my first viewing of 'Nightmare on Elm Street.'" She replied not old enough to have watched it when first released. "But I also happened to know who Jack 'the Ripper' was before 'From Hell' came out."

"Really? 'Cause as far as I knew authorities still have yet to figure out that one." He kidded.

"I can go if you want." She got up and acted offended.

"Sit." He demanded. "No really, how do you know about Dillinger?"

"My grandma was from the Mid-West and grew up during the great depression. She told me stories. She even indicated that her parent's friends had provided him refuge when he stopped in Minnesota."

"So in a game of cops and robbers you played the…?" He questioned.

"Actually the boys stopped playing that with me when one of them got kicked in the crotch as I attempted to escape." She explained.

Dante cringed and laughed at the same time. He got his answer to which side she played though. "No kidding, when was that?"

"I was six, and I swear I haven't done it since… unless they really deserved it."

"You remember the warning I gave you earlier, I officially rescind that." He claimed as it was apparent that she could probably handle her own against a crazed stalker.

"Speaking of which, what did you mean by ex-cop?" She ignored the withdrawal of his caution.

"I lost my badge." He confessed forwardly.

"How?"

"I thought you liked the bad guys better?" He said reverting to the flirting.

"I didn't say that." She objected. Although she could see where he might get that impression.

"What do you like?" He asked directly.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, but you have to answer next." She waited for him to nod. "Well first in reply, I don't have a bad boy complex. I just don't see the world in black and white. I do believe that honor and respect are important, and some people that move outside the confines of the law possess those traits. What I'd like? Is somebody willing to show me a good time, will listen objectively while offering their own opinion, and ultimately value me for me, take it or leave it."

"Oh, I'll take it."

"Now you're just being sweet." She said sarcastically but with a smile.

If he had to pin-point exactly what he like about her she just demonstrated it. "I like when she gets it when something is important but doesn't get all bent out of shape when it's not. She should be able to laugh at herself but still maintain integrity."

"You could drive yourself crazy sweating the small stuff, literally." She commented in response. He noticed something buried in that statement, but then she changed the subject. "How do you like the drink?"

"It's good… sweet."

"That's what you ordered."

"Indeed I did." He replied, not just talking about the macchiato.

"You never said what you do now." She presented the question again.

"And neither have you."

"Oooh… nice redirect." She called him out. "Student, remember?"

"That affords you an apartment on this block?"

"I also have certification as a personal training. I have a couple clients that I work with." She didn't feel she had to elaborate that they were well paying clients.

"How do you become one of those?" He flashed his dimples.

"You're not going to tell me?" She noticed him dodge the question again.

"Does it really matter?" He asked hoping the answer was no.

"Nah, but it means I get to abstain from answering some things myself." She responded which made him curious about what she might be hiding.

***********

"Now what?" Elizabeth asked sitting in the room with Nikolas. She turned the computer off not wanting to see the article any longer. She knew it was Lucky that had been injured.

"I'm sure he is fine. It said they got up and took off and I tried calling any hospital within 50

miles of the Alamo for any record of him being admitted."

"I know, but why would he lie to everybody about where he was going, and how on earth did he think going after Jerry Jax would be a good idea?"

"He lied so no one would point out how stupid it was to go after Jerry. Although I do agree I wish I would have known. I could have prevented it."

"What do you mean?"

"Hang on." Nik's phone was vibrating. "Lucky is that you?"

Elizabeth's ears perked up hoping to overhear the conversation.

"Yes and please tell Liz, Lulu, and Maxie to stop digging." Lucky answered.

"I agree that this is dangerous territory for them, but what do you think you are doing? Are you okay? And before you start lying we know about the explosion."

"Be rest assured that I'm fine. I can't give you anymore information than that."

"Lucky you don't have to deal with Jerry. Come home and I can give you the testimony you need." Nikolas hadn't told anyone before that shortly after Michael's shooting Claudia confessed her crimes to him while delirious. She later confirmed the confession. Because of his own dealings with both Jerry Jax and Ian Devlin he felt he had no room to judge her for something she seemed genuinely sorry for.

"I can't come home." Lucky replied.

"Why?"

"He has Sam."

"What?!" Nikolas screamed. Up until that point the only thing Lucky had confirmed was that he was fine. "Do we have any indication that she's even alive?"

"Yes, I can guarantee you that she's fine." Lucky answered.

"What do I tell Alexis? Your daughter is okay just a small case of being held captive by a sociopath?"

"If you have to tell her anything then let her know that I have the contacts and support in place to not only get her back but bring down Jerry as well. I have to go." He said before hanging up.

"Lucky?" Nikolas questioned, and then threw the phone down. "Damn!"

"I suppose he won't answer if we try calling back?" Elizabeth figured.

"He says everything is under control."

"But he didn't give a location or an estimated time home."

"No, he did not."

**********

"I'm glad to see that you have ventured outside your quarters. I was beginning to get worried." Jerry told Sam who was standing on the deck looking out over the Caribbean waters. Whoever was steering knew enough to stay for from land masses that approached within view. At this point they had ventured beyond the Islands.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"I would like that a resourceful girl as you would have figured that out by now."

"We're headed southeast. Where to? Cayenne, Paramaribo, Caracas? Or something more remote like Trinidad or St. Lucia?"

"You never have been one to sit back and smell the flowers have you? Relax and enjoy the vacation." Jerry encouraged her.

"Is that what you are calling this? You have my phone, it's not like I could cue anyone into my whereabouts."

"Then why do you care?" He asked.

"I wanted to make sure I brought the right shoes." She replied snidely. Jerry must have planned to take her. In her room she had a complete wardrobe, and some of it was actually decent.

"I hope I guessed your correct sizes, it's been much too long since I've been that up close and personal." Sam displayed her disgust. "Don't tell me you forgot our rendezvous in your hot tub?"

"Why the wild goose chase?" Sam asked.

"I had private business dealing I had to take care of before I could leave the continent, but don't worry, I'm all yours now." He said with a frightening grin.

"Lucky is going to find you."

"Oh, I know. It helps that I told him where we are headed. Of course when we get there I'm going to have to give him the exact address, but I'm fairly certain he will show."

"And then what?"

"Then I kill him." He said with eyes wide and matter-of-factly.

"If you wanted to kill him why didn't you do so in Mexico?"

"I didn't want the ruckus that would have come from a murder in such a public forum, besides this gives him time to squirm and it's going to be much more entertaining when you're there to watch."

"And you don't think Lucky's family is going to come after you and retaliate?"

"Who? The old man with the bad heart? His crazy mother?"

"You're in no position to call anyone else crazy."

"Be that as it might. I'm still curious who the cavalry is? I mean did you really expect to come down to Miami and convince me to uphold my civic duty?"

"No, that would require you being a decent human being, and I'm fairly certain you're none of that, but you did attempt to tell Carly."

"And that's a mistake I refuse to make again."

"So instead you're going to kill her cousin? That's much better."

"He had ample opportunity to leave. What comes next is all on him." Jerry explained.

"It's never your fault, is it Jerry? Did you ever consider owning up to anything?"

"That's really rich coming from you."

"I've had my past indiscretions, there's no doubt about that, but it's been a long time since I've run away from the pain I've caused."

"You know what? I actually came out here to give you your voice messages. Alexis is quite worried about you, apparently she loves you but not enough not to send you after what she called an atrocious monster, huh? I must have forgotten flowers for her last birthday. Oh, and Kristina and Molly say hi, it was nice hearing little Molly's voice, she was always such the doll."

Sam went to slap him at the mere mention of her little sister, but he caught her hand.

"Careful sweet Sam, I may think you're coming on to me."


	53. Chapter 53

Jax heard a knock on the door. He was not expecting anybody but got up to answer it. He thought it might be Michael, who he constantly had to remind did not need to knock upon entering. Although he could understand the recent hesitance considering the one time he did enter without being let in happened to be when he found his mother unconscious. Jax opened the door to find his best friend with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked letting her cling to him.

"Jerry has Sam." She replied.

"You heard from Jerry?" Jax asked. He wanted to be able to tell her that his brother would not hurt her but he knew better. Jax wasn't entirely sure Jerry would protect him if his own hide was on the line.

"No, Nikolas talked to Lucky."

"Here, come in." Jax invited her to sit down in order to get the story. It made sense as to why Nikolas just happened by the lake house the prior evening. "Can I get you anything?"

"No. He says that Sam is fine, and I'm sure Spinelli and Luke are with him to help with whatever he is plotting." Alexis said assuring herself.

"If I know Jerry he is just trying to find a way out." Jax explained.

"I told her if it got to be too much than let it go. Instead they almost get blown up and then follow him to who knows where and she gets held captive. This is all my fault." She said reaching the point where she was almost hyperventilating again.

"Alexis, breathe. Lucky is a cop. He's a trained detective. For all we know Sam being taken is part of the plan. She is a survivor. She will get home safe." He said talking her down.

"You're right." She said and then repeated for her own sake. "You're right. She will be fine. Thank you. I'm sorry about barging in. I just didn't know where to go and I couldn't fall apart in front of the girls. They absolutely adore their big sister."

"You don't need to explain." Jax reminded her they were friends and that's what they were there for.

"I know, but you are going above and beyond the call of duty."

He wasn't sure about that. If anything Alexis had been the one taking care of him as he was breaking down. "Alexis, about last night…"

"Nothing happened." She replied.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't."

"Okay." He replied sweeping it under the rug. "I'm going to see Carly tomorrow."

"That's good." She responded. Both could feel the conversation turning awkward.

"If there's any chance I think we need to talk face-to-face." He said heeding Olivia's advice.

"I agree, and I think for your daughter's sake that you should try anything you can to make the marriage work." She gulped. She had spent most of the day attempting to understand where the kiss had come from. They had been friends for so long that it didn't make sense that they would all of the sudden see each other in a sexual way, but as she looked at him now in a casual t-shirt and jeans there was an attraction that she was holding in.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" Jax offered again. "I have some wine."

"No, really." She backed down. Lowering the inhibitions would be a bad idea for both of them. "I should get going. I need to bring the girls early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, but if you need to talk let me know. I should be back by tomorrow evening."

"I will." She replied. "Thanks again."

**********

"So Coleman, you're throwing another karaoke night?" Patrick asked as he grabbed a couple beers from the bar, and saw the sign for Thursday night.

"It's great for business, why? Is the Drake duet making another appearance?" The only way Robin was able to get Patrick to sing the last time was by agreeing to perform with him.

"Not a chance." Patrick replied.

"Oh, come on, you were a hit last time."

"You know you had fun." Robin said approaching the bar.

"See!" Coleman added attempting to persuade the surgeon. Then he turned his attention to Robin. "What can I get you, beautiful?"

"I'll take a club soda." She replied as she had already agreed to be the sober cab. They walked back to the table and Patrick handed a bottle to Matt who was peering over at the door.

"She did say she was coming, right?" Robin asked.

"Yes, I just talked to her an hour ago." Lulu had called Matt after receiving the update from Nikolas. When she sounded upset Matt suggested they meet at Jake's.

"There she is." Patrick pointed her out, Maxie came with her.

Matt stood up to greet Lulu with a hug. She met him with an embrace, and buried her head into his shoulder not wanting to let go.

"Any news?" Patrick asked Maxie as she sat down. Matt had filled them in on the disappearances.

"Sure, Lucky and Sam are on a case to find Jerry Jax. Sam got grabbed, and Lucky sent for Luke and Spinelli to get her back." Maxie explained.

"How much did Uncle Mac know about this?" Robin asked.

"Enough to know that he's the one that put the warrant out for Jerry's arrest." Maxie explained.

Both Patrick and Robin were familiar with just how demented Jerry was. As Lulu sat down Robin offered her support. "I know how scary it is waiting for someone you love to come back from a case. Lucky can do this, you have to trust that."

"I know." Lulu nodded. At least that was what she was telling herself.

"Can I get you anything?" Matt asked.

Lulu smiled. "Yeah, I'll take a rum and coke, and keep them coming."

"Oh, me too." Maxie chimed in.

He looked over at Maxie and smiled. "Sure thing."

"How is the magazine going?" Patrick asked hoping to keep the conversation light.

"Just peachy." Maxie responded sarcastically. "I'm up to my ears in photo shoots and I need to get the January magazine out tomorrow which is a week later than it should have been, and the columnist for the Valentine's piece for the next issue just called in sick."

"What happened? I thought you said at Thanksgiving that you were all caught up." Robin questioned.

"We lost the location for the New Years spread." Lulu explained. Luckily there was a cancellation at the spot that didn't put them too far behind. "How is everything at the hospital?"

"Good. I've been doing research for a new drug that should be helpful in reducing bleeding during intracranial surgery with fewer side effects which was brought to the FDA this week." Robin explained.

"That's great." Lulu responded.

"Here you go." Matt said setting down a glass for both blondes. Lulu gave him a kiss on the cheek and drank it down quickly. Coleman was watching from the bar and sent a waitress over with another glass.

Maxie, Patrick, and Robin got wrapped up in conversation about Emma.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk?" Matt whispered to Lulu.

She shook her head no. No amount of talking about going to change anything, and she wasn't sure that he wanted to hear about the problems with her ex. As they were breaking up she couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something that if she found out would cause her to hate him.

"Have you been able to talk to Carly recently?" Matt asked.

"Briefly. She seemed tired but said she was fine." Lulu answered.

"I happen to know all is well there." Patrick cut in. He was thrilled to see the latest test results as they came in. He couldn't say any more without breaching confidentiality, but it looked like Lulu could use a pick me up.

"Have you been able to convince either of your parents to come to Christmas?" Maxie asked Robin.

"My mom is coming, but dad is currently MIA." This didn't seem to phase her much. "You?"

"I haven't seen my dad in so long I'm not sure I'd know what he looked like, and apparently my mom is out gallivanting with him. You know, children usually dream of their parents getting back together."

"Well, yeah, but that is in hopes that they can be a family again." Robin explained. "Which doesn't work when they are cross country."

"That's assuming they are on this continent." Maxie added, but she was thrilled with the family she had in Port Charles, assuming Spinelli made it back in time.  
After Lulu's fourth drink in an hour Matt tried to talk her out of ordering another.

"Lulu, are you okay?" He asked when they moved away from the table.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go outside for a moment."

"I'm going with you."

"No, I'm fine; I just need some fresh air."

He didn't want to argue. He let her go as he met back up with the group.

"Okay, what's going on Maxie?" Matt questioned.

"I don't really know for sure. I think I do, but I really don't think it's my place to say anything." Maxie explained. She remembered her own conversations with Johnny, and he did allude to covering for Claudia with something bad enough to really hurt Lulu.

Lulu walked outside and welcomed the cold breeze.

"Are you alright?" She heard a familiar voice.

"Leave me alone." She shot back.

"I would, but you look like you might get sick." Johnny observed.

"Why would you care?"

"I do care, Lulu." He responded. As much as he liked Olivia, and loved the fact that they could tell each other everything, he still held a place in his heart for the first girl he really loved. He also knew that he had the ability to destroy her, and he couldn't do that.

"Sure. You know I defended you."

"What do you mean?"

"I walked up to my cousin as she was sitting at her son's bedside to tell her that you had nothing to do with it."

Johnny knew exactly what she was talking about, and also knew there was no way he could explain his way out of it.

"Was that it? Was that the secret that eventually tore us apart?"

Johnny nodded.

"You make me sick." She commented and then felt like she might hurl. Johnny went to grab her as she crouched over.

"Can I get someone for you?" Johnny offered and she tried breathing her way through the nausea. She simply shook her head no.

"I'm okay." She said as she stood up. "Just please, get your hands off of me."

"Lulu…."

"You heard her." Matt said stepping outside.

"Who asked you?" Johnny said as he moved away from her.

Enraged Matt threw punch and connected with Johnny midsection. This prompted Johnny to swing at his jaw but Matt ducked and Johnny's momentum propelled him to the cement. Hearing the commotion outside Patrick, Robin, and Maxie stood up to see what was going on. Patrick pulled his brother off of Johnny to break up the fight.

"Johnny, just leave." Maxie commanded noticing some blood trickling from his lip.

"You might want to get her some water." Johnny suggested before walking away.

Robin tended to Lulu who still did not look too hot.

*********

After lunch Jason took Carly to the shopping center where they had to weave there way through the bustling halls of fellow Christmas shoppers. Carly picked out presents and souvenirs for her kids, and although he wasn't entirely comfortable he was able to pick up some gifts of his own as well. When her energy started to drain he brought her back to the hotel.

Carly felt at ease resting her head on his chest; she brushed her finger over his chest making invisible shapes and letters over his sternum.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked grabbing her hand.

"It reminds me of a dream I had."

"Really?"

"Only in my dream you didn't have your shirt on." She described.

"Was this a recent dream?" He asked remembering some of his own hallucinations from when Carly was unconscious.

"You know, I don't really remember. It was vivid, as if it felt like it was actually happening."

He thought it was an interesting choice of the word, vivid, the same word he used to describe the experience to Monica. "Do you think it may have been from when you were comatose?" He asked. He very nearly forgot about it until she brought it up.

"It's possible."

"Do you remember anything else?"

"Like?"

"Like a shower? A game of pool at Jakes?"

"Sort of. Of course you turned down my invitation this morning. Why do you ask?" She questioned. "Wait, you had them too."

She recalled after the dock explosion she had questioned whether Jason had a similar experience to hers while both were unconscious. He wouldn't confirm it at the time, but he had never denied it either. Only this time it was Jason questioning the psychic link.

"Come on, Jase, admit it."

"Yes, I admit it. There was some soul matish, psychic link thing happening."  
"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know what it was. All I knew is that it meant more time with you, and I planned on hanging on to anything I got."

"Well, you have the real me now. No more dreams, no hallucination, just flesh and soul." She replied and kissed him. He propped himself up on one elbow and met her half-way. He liked the sound of that, and he wasn't going to let another decade pass before their very eyes. Jason grabbed her lower back with his free arm and propelled her around until she was pinned to the mattress. They continued to make out and undress each other.

She knew what she was doing was wrong, and that she should at least wait until starting the paperwork with her lawyer before doing anything, but she couldn't stop herself. She had waited too long already, and they both wanted this.

"Are you sure?" He questioned before taking the next step.

She didn't feel the need to say anything instead just propped herself up to massage her tongue against his. He melt into her as they did what could only be described as making love.


	54. Chapter 54

"Here." Matt said handing Lulu an Aspirin and a bottle of water upon her waking up. After the fight broke up he brought her back to his place and let her pass out on his bed while he took the sofa.

"Uh…" She groaned and then swallowed the pill. "Can we pretend that last night didn't happen?"

"I will consider it forgotten as soon as you tell me what actually did happen." Matt replied.

"Too much alcohol and not enough food." She explained.

He didn't need his medical training to figure that one out. "It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see there was something more than you being worried about your brother."

Lulu smiled at the irony of the statement. "I just saw a side of my ex that I didn't want to know existed."

"Did he hurt you?" He expressed his concern.

"No, I mean not physically. He helped cover for someone who hurt somebody close to me."

"That's a bit vague."

"I'm sorry about last night, but it's over and done with. I don't want to talk about it anymore, and I really have to get home so I can at least attempt to look presentable for work today." There was a lot of work left to do before the magazine could go out, and Maxie needed her help.

"Sure, yeah, my shift starts in a bit too." Matt backed off. "Lulu, if I promise not to bring this up again, can we go out tonight?"

"I'd like that." She smiled.

***********

After going a few more rounds the night before Carly found herself cradled next to Jason. Neither one of them were asleep but were too comfortable there to work up the ambition to leave. Jason nibbled on her neck and ear causing her tiny hairs to stand up on end.

"I could get used to this kind of pillow talk." She commented.

"We weren't talking." He replied.

"Exactly." She smiled and rolled over to face him. She leaned in and he met her in a kiss. She wanted more than anything else to stay there all day, but instead pushed away. "We should go to the clinic."

"Now?" He whined.

"After getting cleaned up and dressed first." She responded.

"Okay, fine. Let's get it over with." He conceded, and then they could go back to the room for the next couple of days.

"Are you going to…?" She motioned towards the shower, and this time he accepted.

"You know, you're looking healthier already." He commented as she checked the temperature of the shower.

"I feel better." She admitted. She wasn't sure if it was the change in attitude following the test results, an entire day without blood being sucked out of her, or the medicinal effects of an active sex life that was doing the trick. "And I know what would help."  
"What's that?" She took his hands and guided him into the shower with her. He held her for awhile letting the running water rain down over them before lathering the wash cloth.

**********

"You never said what happened last night." Olivia commented as she saw Johnny checking out his lip in the bathroom mirror, and then handed him an ice cube.

"Would you believe I let Matt Hunter catch me off guard?" He responded putting the ice over the swelling.

"Matt Hunter the neurosurgeon? Lulu's new boyfriend?"

"One in the same." He responded.

"You two were getting along so well at Carly's homecoming party. What happened?"

"Lulu was upset and drunk and I tried to help. Matt misunderstood something and instead of explaining it to him I got defensive and he started a fight." He knew he acted like a jerk about it, but he couldn't help it. Lulu was obviously upset and her boyfriend let her wander off alone.

"Do you know what she was upset about?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, any faith in me she may have had left came crumbing down." He answered poetically. "Apparently Carly and Jason are the only ones left that don't know about the shooting."

Olivia made a facial expression indicating the contrary.

"Carly knows?" Johnny questioned.

"Yes, and right now she's taking it out by divorcing Jax." Olivia explained. "But for your sister's sake it's probably good that she's in Italy."

"Do you think that there is any chance Sonny can talk Jason out of putting a bullet between her eyes?" Johnny asked. Sonny took the news a lot better than he expected, but in his mind the x factor was always Jason.

"I wish him luck." Olivia responded. She didn't like Claudia. Most days she thought she was a vile waste of oxygen, but she did know how much Johnny loved her, and she would never condone taking a human life out of vengeance.

***********

"I thought I might find you here." Sonny said wrapping his arms around his wife. She spent most of her waking hours just looking out over the patio lost in her own thoughts. "Would you mind telling me what you are thinking about?"

"Somewhere between conception and labor, when the woman is carrying her child she becomes a mother." Claudia said still staring out.

"Okay." Sonny replied and held her tighter.

"I'm a mom without a child." Claudia cried. She turned to face him and continued to cry on his shoulder.

Sonny felt helpless; he didn't know what he could do or say to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry." She pushed away.

"No. If there was anything I could…"

"Maybe there is." She cut in.

"Just say the word." He responded. He couldn't imagine much that he wasn't willing to do to make this easier for her.

"I want a baby. I know it won't replace our little girl, but I want another shot."

"Claudia, I don't think that's a good idea." He replied. After Michael was shot he was more convinced then ever that his life was too dangerous for children. Claudia's conception was an accident, or so he thought, but he couldn't help but stand behind the idea that it wasn't right to purposefully bring another child into that.

"Please?" She cried. "I need this."

He hesitated to respond.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to Michael. Truly! You can punish me any other way you want, but please…"

"This isn't about punishing you. What happened to Michael is a clear example of why it's not a good idea."

"It won't happen again." She shook her head. The reason Sonny was open to that attack was because he attempted a treaty and left himself unguarded. He wasn't going to make that some mistake twice.

"You can't guarantee that." Sonny argued.

"Maybe not, but I can guarantee that given a chance our child will be loved the way we should have been, and you will be able to raise this child instead of being robbed like you were with your other children."

"I don't know."

"You said yourself that we work well. When we're on the same side it is great; just imagine the parents we could be together."

It had been while since he let himself go to that place where he could picture their little girl; how she looked, and which attributes she would take from each of them. It hurt too much to capture that image for too long. "Did you talk to Dr. Lee about it?"

"She mentioned that she didn't see anything wrong with trying again." Claudia answered. "Does that mean you're considering it?"

"Maybe." Sonny responded.


	55. Chapter 55

As soon as they got back to the hotel room Jason picked Carly up and dropped her on the mattress. He wouldn't have imagined that he'd be experiencing the honeymoon stage of the relationship so heavy with someone that he had known for so long but neither one of them wanted to let go for any length of time. Jason had just torn her shirt off and was about to undue her bra as they heard a knock on the door.

"Leave it." She replied and pulled him into her chest to kiss him.

They attempted to ignore it until Carly's name was called out.

"Is that Jax?" Jason asked. Carly shot up to look for her blouse and then answered the door.

It took all of a second for Jax to comprehend what was going on, but Carly's focus turned to the car seat he was carrying. He set the car seat on the table so Carly could hold Britni.

"Oh my God, she's gotten so big, and look at her hair." Carly cried.

"She missed you." Jax made sure that the pilot was extra careful with adjusting to air pressure while flying with her, and he wouldn't have taken her so young if it was to the public airport.

"I'm…gonna…. go." Jason announced figuring it was best to give them some time.

"I didn't know…. You didn't say…" Carly attempted to complete a thought.

"I know. I thought I may try, I don't know maybe handcuffing myself to the bed post." Jax responded citing one of the methods Carly had tried when he had initiated for a divorce.

"Jax, I'm sorry but my mind is made up."

"I gathered that. You look happy." He observed. "I can only assume Jason…"

"Jason is the reason that I'm happy, but he's not the reason that the marriage is ending." Carly clarified.

"I love you." He stressed.

"I love you, too." She replied seeing him brought those feelings back, and it was that love that gave her the most amazing gift.

"While I'm here can I least explain?"

"You don't have to." She said inviting him to sit down next to her. He denied sitting on the bed but took a seat on a nearby chair. "I get it, really I do. I've told enough lies in my life and kept enough secrets to protect the ones I care for. I can't blame you for what you did, but for us to continue I need to be able to trust you, and I really don't think I can do that."

"I never wanted to hurt you, and I'd do anything to protect your children if I thought there was a genuine risk."

"It's not just about me not trusting you." Carly continued. "You should have trusted me. I get that you were scared, but you kept things from me that hurt me worse than if you just would have said something."

"So this is really it?" His heart sunk. "I don't want to fight."

"I don't either. There's only one thing that I'm asking for." She said cradling her daughter close.

"What's that?"

"Primary custody of Britni." She replied. She knew that was going to be a tough sell.

"Shared." He countered.

"You can have as much visitation as you want, but I don't want to get into a situation where you are using her against me because you don't approve in my choice of a partner." She expressed her fear as she remembered battles between Sonny over the same issue.

"I wouldn't do that."

"Oh no? That's not exactly what happened when you took away Club 101?"

"That was a long time ago, and happened because you had embezzled money."

"Right? It had nothing to do with the fact that after my accident I went back to Sonny? You were looking for an excuse."

"That was a long time ago." Was his only rebuttal.

"I promise, as much visitation as you want." She refused to concede.

He saw the determination in her eyes, and also knew that after everything Sonny had put her and her children through she couldn't refuse him visitation of his children even after he signed away his parental rights. "Fine. With Michael, Morgan, and Britni the house should be yours."

"I couldn't." She backed down knowing the pain she was already putting him through.

"It's fine. I'll move back to the pent house. It's right across the stress from the hotel anyway." He left out that being in the house was too hard as it was.

"Speaking of which I've been thinking about selling my shares to Olivia." Carly replied. She loved the hotel but she knew it would be hard for them to work together.

"You don't have to."

"I think I should. Besides it will give me more time to raise this little one, and when she gets older, who knows, I could try another club again."

**********

"Hey." Dante announced his presence in the garage.

"Hey yourself." Johnny responded. "What's up?"

"Trouble." Dante answered. "I'm hearing murmurs that with both Sonny and Jason out of town the renegades are seeing this as a perfect opportunity to do some damage."

"Where are these murmurs coming from?" Johnny asked wiping the grease off of his hands with a cloth. He figured his father was behind the recent uprisings, and there was always question as to where loyalties stood.

"I have an associate working on the inside."

"Does this associate know you were working undercover prior to this?" He wondered how reliable the information was.

"No. I saved his hide while we worked for Mr. Zacchara. He knew I switched and was going to come along until I convince him to work as an informant."

"Does Sonny know about that?"

"Yeah, I mentioned it, my guys checked out with him. Hey dude, what happened to your…?" Dante pointed towards his lip.

"Don't ask. Not work related." He clarified. "What do you think we should do about these renegades as you called them?"

"Well, you are senior here so it's your call. Personally I'd suggest a pre-emptive strike. Eventually this territory is no longer going to belong to Sonny. I'm not sure I want the drug pushers thinking they can take it over." Dante explained.

"I agree. Contact your guy and find out where they will be. We will meet up here at 9:30 pm to gear up."

Dante grimaced. He was afraid of that when he made plans to meet up with Caitlyn.

"What? Date with the girl?" Johnny deduced.

"You saw me?" Dante figured Johnny must have seen them at the coffee shop.

"Yeah, but when you turned away I figured you weren't up for an introduction. She's cute, but take it from me, if you like her don't keep this from her."

"I guess I'm just waiting for the opportune moment."

"Like what? When she's visiting you in the hospital room with a gunshot wound?"

He gave a cocky grin. "Well, I hope I'm better at my job than that."

"It happens to the best of us." Johnny replied. Unfortunately it was the profession hazard of that job.

"I'll see you tonight." He responded not sure what he was going to say to her.

**********

Their flight had just landed. Spinelli and Lucky went of to acquire the rental car while Robert and Luke collected baggage and got in touch with Robert's contacts.

"Can you please explain why it is again that the voyage took us to Barcelona instead of the direct route into Caracas?" Spinelli asked. He felt like they could do more staking out of the abandoned warehouses instead of using that time driving through the country.

"Because we have no idea what kind of coverage Jerry has at the Caracas airport. We also don't want to be taken by surprise if we start aimlessly driving around the warehouse district." Lucky explained.

"Those are sound points that I had not thought prior about. Would it be too much to ask now that the Fair Maximista is aware of the adventure the Jackal had set upon that I may be able to contact her and assure her fabulousness that all is truly well?"

"No. For one, I'm not sure you have the ability to not say too much, and it's safer for them is they don't get involved." Lucky answered. Not only talking about Maxie, but Liz and Lulu as well.

"The Protector of the Innocent must know that there are many at home that are concerned for his wellbeing."

"I know, and as hard as it is not to see or talk to my boys, it's much less distracting this way." He said as they made it to the head of the line.

Lucky gave the attendant the ID and credit card of his forged alias. Again, they were hoping to leave as little evidence of their whereabouts as possible. As soon as he was given the key they were back on the way to pick up the other two.

"Everything is set." Robert confirmed.

"Did they say anything about where they think Jerry may be taking her?" Lucky asked.

"I have the address of three different places that would be most likely. Maybe Grasshopper here can take a look at the Idiot box and see if he can find something."

Spinelli scowled at the description of his treasured piece of technology. He wanted to counter by explaining that it was actually the television that was concerned said 'idiot box' but felt the argument may be lost. Robert handed the piece of scribbled paper over to Spinelli as he attempted to get an internet signal.

"You're awfully quiet." Lucky said to his father who was sitting in the passenger's seat next to him.

"I'm trying to picture how this is all going to go down." Luke replied. He knew there wasn't a lot of planning that could be done until they knew exactly where they were going and how many armed men they were dealing with. He was impressed with his son; he just didn't want to have to tell his mother that he became a casualty. They all knew that Jerry was planning a welcome party with Lucky as the quest of honor.


	56. Chapter 56

Carly didn't want to say goodbye again to her daughter, but at least this time they were parting knowing everything was going to be okay. She cradled her in her arms and reached them over her head watching Britni smile.

"Carly, I have to go." Jax announced.

"Okay." She said with tears forming at the base of her eyes.

"You'll be back soon." He encouraged.

"Probably Saturday." She replied.

"I'll let Morgan know."

"Have him call me."

"Will do." He said. "Carly, how would you like to handle the news?"

"We'll set the boys down this weekend." She thought it was best if Michael and Morgan heard it from them both so they could answer the hard questions together.

She set Britni back in the car seat and gave Jax a hug before he left. As soon as the door closed behind him she cuddled with her teddy bear. The encounter went a lot better than it could have, but it also brought up a lot of feelings that she had left at home.

Jason appeared shortly and sat down next to her to rub her back.

"How did it go?"

"I miss my babies." She said meaning all three of her kids.

"Soon." He replied.

"Jase, what happens when we get back?"

"I don't know. What did you and Jax discuss?" She told him about what they had agreed on and bringing the kids together to tell them about the divorce.

"If you're asking when to tell the kids about us, I think we should play that by ear." Jason responded.

"There's going to be an us?" She inquired.

"I sure hope so."

"And what about Claudia?" She had remembered her first impulses when Jerry had presented her with the DVD. She wanted Claudia to pay with her own life, and she wasn't sure that those feelings had completely passed even with the knowledge of the miscarriage.

"Last I heard Sonny had taken her to Italy for a while." Jason answered.

"Does Sonny know yet?"

"I don't know." Jason replied coldly.

************

"Should I find it creepy that you found out where I live?" Caitlyn asked letting Dante into her apartment. They had made arrangements to meet at Kelly's later that evening.

"You pretty much told me when you said you lived down the street from the coffee house, and your name was on the buzzer downstairs."

"Fair enough. Does this mean you are cancelling tonight?" She asked offering him a seat on the couch.

"I'm sorry some work came up."

"And again, you couldn't call?" She replied. "Do you actually know how to use that thing?"

"Not really. I know a nine-year-old that helps me out with it." He answered only half-kidding. "I actually came to tell you what I do."

"You don't have to. I mean, I was having fun imagining you were some kind of 007 super spy."

He grinned. "I wouldn't want to ruin that."

"I mean it, you don't owe me anything."

Dante took her hand. "Not yet, but I hope at some point we get to a point where I will."

She took breath fearful that he may be heading in that direction, and more fearful that she would want him to. "So, you're not collecting unemployment?"

"No, I work for Sonny Corinthos, and I can't really tell you much more than that. Tonight Johnny and I are going out on a job."

"Are there any specific areas of Port Charles that I should avoid?" She asked solemnly as she took in the gravity of what he was telling her.

"I can't tell you that, but I'd appreciate it if you would stay here." He responded with her safety in mind.

"Pizza delivery got it." She replied. "I don't understand why you didn't tell me this yesterday. Did I give you any indication I couldn't handle it?"

"No. Maybe I was more afraid that you could."

"Why? Because it would confirm the fact that I wasn't normal?"

"I knew that already." He teased.

"Thanks." She finally smiled again.

"I was an uncover cop, and I was proud of that. I ended up getting too close to Sonny's family and I couldn't give up the information I had." He explained.

"So you didn't want to tell me because you were ashamed." She gathered. "Why tell me now?"

"In case the job tonight goes badly." He admitted. "And to make sure my mind is clear."

"Would kissing you right now cause it to go hazy?" Caitlyn asked.

He shook his head no and leaned in to meet his lips with hers. He didn't want to pull away, but knew he had to get down to the garage.

**********

"Thanks for agreeing to come out tonight." Matt said as he walked down the harbor with Lulu.

"The jazz club was a great idea. Lucky has always told me good things about it. I just hadn't been out there yet." Lulu explained.

"Are you cold?" He ask feeling the tip of his nose start to freeze.

"Oh come on, if you want to hold me just say so." Lulu smiled.

"Okay then." He said wrapping his arms around her. "How's this?"

"Good." She said snuggling in for a kiss. "How's that?"

"Better." He responded, and the kissed her again.

Lulu noticed a small red light appear on Matt's shoulder as she cuddled up next to him. "Oh my God!"

"What?" He responded.

"Duck!" She replied and pushed him to the ground as they heard shots go off.

Johnny tried to ignore the fact that Lulu dropped to the cement less than 100 feet in front of him as he attempted to locate his targets. Dante cocked his head indicating that he saw one of them. Johnny waved him to take the shot. He stood up exposing himself from the crate he was hiding behind and took out one of the gunmen.

"How many?" Johnny asked as he returned to his cover.

"Two down, three more."

"Okay, I have a clean shot on that one." Johnny indicated. Dante held to cover as Johnny stood. One went down. As the other started shooting Dante pushed Johnny out of the line of fire exposing himself. He took out another gunman before a bullet penetrated causing him to collapse.

"Dante!" Johnny called out. He watched the final renegade gunman take off before rushing to his partner's side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Dante nodded and the turned over to lay on his back exposing where the bullet hit. "Thank God for the vest, right?"

"Here." Johnny reached his hand out to help Dante up. Then looked over to Matt who had sat up after the fire had ceased holding Lulu in an embrace.

"No, don't!" Dante noticed the look of concern on Johnny's face as he debated running over there, and could tell the decision had already been made. "Will you at least give me your weapon?"

Johnny threw him the riffle and ran over to check on Lulu who was shaking in Matt's arms.

"Lulu?" Johnny expressed his concern.

"I'm fine." She replied. "We should get out of here."

"Wait, shouldn't we call the police?" Matt asked as they stood up.

"Let's go!" She urged. As she started walking away she looked back to Johnny.

'Thank you' he mouthed and then went back to the garage to meet up with Dante who had already taken care of the cover up. He had to admit that the guy was thorough.

"What the hell just happened?!" Johnny yelled not directly at anyone but the situation in general.

"I'm not sure. I told my guy pass on the word that a shipment was coming in. I have no idea why they started shooting at Lulu."

"My father must have told them to leave no witnesses."

"Yeah well, the old man must have sent the B team 'cause that was an amateur maneuver giving up their location like that."

"What now?" Johnny asked. He knew Sonny wouldn't have been happy with the fact they let someone run off.

"I'll talk to my guy tomorrow. See what he knows. Meet here, say about 10:30 am?" Dante answered favoring his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a bruise." Dante responded. The vest did a good job at stopping the bullet from impaling his skin but the force of the impact still stung.

"Okay, you go home and rest. The last thing I want is to tell your mom that I got you hurt." Johnny instructed.

"You can leave my ma out of this." He was still adjusting to the fact that Johnny was seeing Olivia, but was fine with it as long as it didn't affect their working relationship.

***********

"Why is it that we aren't calling the cops?" Matt asked as he brought Lulu back to his place.

"Do you really want to be a witness to a mob shoot out?" Lulu asked.

"So, this isn't about covering for your ex-boyfriend?" He found it odd that she would be considering it after she was hurt so badly by him covering for someone else.

"Trust me, I have no loyalty to Johnny Zacchara." She protested; however deep down she knew that she couldn't be the person responsible for sending him to prison.

"Fine." He said holding her. "I'm just glad that you are safe."

"I am now." She responded resting her head on his shoulder.


	57. Chapter 57

"Caracas, imagine that." Sam observed belittling Jerry. It was probably the biggest city on the northern shore of South America.

"You play this by the book or you will be responsible for a massacre." Jerry threatened indicating she was to pass through customs without making a scene.

"I wouldn't know where to run to anyway." She lied. She had spent enough time in that region to know places where she could hide, but that served no purpose today.

"Smart girl. You really do have that survival instinct in you." He commented. "Too bad it didn't tell you to run the other direction before it was too late."

"Excuse me sir, may I check your bag?" The attendant asked at the gate. Jerry handed him his. "And you, ma'am?"

"Here." She handed it over. As she looked at the Venezuelan in the eye he winked at her.

"Bienvenidos! Is there anywhere I can help you locate?" The attendant asked handing the luggage back

"No, but thank you." Jerry said graciously, and then pointed to a black limo. "There's our ride over there."

**********

"That was it." Robert sat down his phone. "There's a car following Jerry's as we speak."

"It looks like they are heading towards that building." Lucky said pointing to one of the abandoned warehouses.

"Oh, he doesn't skimp." Luke commented. The building was large with a huge garage and two upper level offices. "Do you have the blue prints?" He asked Spinelli.

"Indeed. If the Protector Sir will let me navigate the Jackal will be right on that."

Lucky scooted his chair over. All four men were huddled around the computer.

"Okay, it looks like we have an entrance there, there and there." Robert said pointing out two lower level entrances, one directly into the garage, and an upper level side entrance.

"I'm going to assume that Jerry is going to provide me with a way in, your guy's job is making sure Sam and I can get out."

"If I was running this show." Luke started. "I'd make sure those two entrances were securely locked. There would be men circling the perimeter, and the heavy hitters would be hiding behind the crates in the garage."

"Alright, dad your team will be responsible for taking out the outside guards, when you find an opening Robert and his guys will enter the garage, but you hold until I get to Sam." Lucky instructed.

"How will we know?" Robert asked.

"That's where Spinelli comes in." Lucky answered.

"Is Protector Sir ready for this?" Spinelli asked taking out what looked to be gun/needle hybrid. Lucky nodded and stuck out his hand. Spinelli took two fingers and pressed on his wrist under his thumb for the pulse and then inserted the tip of the needle in place and pulled the trigger.

"Owe!" Lucky shook his arm.

Spinelli went back to the computer to type in some information. "Here we go." Spinelli smiled and showed them the blue dot now blinking on the screen.

Robert, Luke, and Spinelli would be hooked up to a communication device, but Lucky was sure that before being able to enter he would be searched extensively for any hidden wires or modes of communication.

"Okay, I think we're ready." Lucky commented. "Eduardo will take you guys over there where you can debrief the team. Spinelli, you stay with him."

"What about you?" Luke asked.

"I'll take the rental over as soon as I get Jerry's call. Do not forget, we need him to believe that this is still his game. No firing until I reach Sam."

**********

"What did you find out?" Johnny asked Dante as he closed the office door behind him. He had called Dante early asking to meet there for the sake of privacy.

"The pre-emptive strike worked. They were not expecting us which shook them up a bit; however it is causing suspicion about a leak." Dante answered.

"And your guy? Has he been compromised?"

"No, not as far as he can tell."

"Good, what about the gunman that got away?"

"He's on the top of the list of suspects for the leak. I say we leave him alone and let your father take care of him." Dante responded.

Johnny smiled and nodded. "I'll let Sonny know." He didn't want to bother his brother-in-law with too much but figured he would want to know about the attack on the territory.

As Dante left the office he saw a brunette sipping a latte at a nearby table. "Are you stalking me this time?" He greeted her.

"Turn about is only fair play." She replied with a hug. "I'll admit I was a little worried when I didn't hear from you."

"My charm must be working." He flashed a smile. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For staying cool about it. For not trying to follow me or stop it from happening." He was afraid he may have told her too much. There were women out there that thought they could handle that life when it was an idea, but when the reality sunk in they ended up making it worse.

"I have the day off." She said directing the conversation away from a topic she knew they couldn't really discuss anyway.

"Really? Believe it or not, so do I. Where would you like to go?"

"I thought I'd take you to my favorite place in Port Charles." She answered.

"Sure." He said following her. The temperature was cool but comfortable. The sun was out, and the wind from the night before had died down. She passed by the cars and continued walking. He was curious to know where she would take him. He thought maybe the movie theatre passed on prior conversations, but instead she directed him in front of the swing set at the local park.

***********

"How did it go?" Alexis asked as Jax entered her office.

"We are going through with it." Jax answered.

"I'm so sorry." Not knowing what else she could offer.

"No, you know she's right. We love each other but that is just not enough. I knew that the last time, but I really thought we could make it work." He replied, but he knew it was doomed as soon as the lies started.

"I can get started as soon as you tell me what you are asking for."

"I told Carly to have Dianne draw up the paperwork and I would have you look it over when she was finished."

"Are you sure?" Alexis asked knowing that Dianne would have Carly's interest in mind.

"Yes, I don't want this to turn into a big fight. I've already done enough to hurt her." He replied feeling now that the stroke may have been prevented along with the divorce if he had only been honest in the beginning.

"She has done her fair share of hurting." Alexis countered.

"Not like I have. I really should just give up on the relationship thing all together." He said thinking about his previous relationships with Chloe, Brenda, Skye, and Courtney and the disaster each one of them turned into.

"I'm right there with you." Alexis replied. They seemed to be nothing but trouble; however that was probably because of her taste in members of the opposite sex.

"I should let you get back to work." He commented before the conversation started turning a direction neither one of them were ready for.

"Yeah, just have Dianne drop off the paperwork whenever." She said before he shut the door behind him. 'That was weird,' she thought and then shook it off before reading the case notes in front of her.


	58. Chapter 58

Lucky sat in the rental car with his eyes fixated on the telephone so completely that when it rang it caused him to jump prior to checking to see that it was Sam's number.

"Hello?" Lucky answered.

"Detective Spencer, I can only assume your trip to Venezuela went smoothly."

"I'm here, now what?"

"What? No pleasantries? Okay, okay, now you follow my directions exactly." Jerry responded, and Lucky took out a piece of paper to write down his directions to the warehouse. "Come through the garage entrance. There is a metal staircase to the second floor. I will be waiting for you in the second door to the right."

"And you are going to let Sam go?"

"I may, but you'll never know if you don't show."

"How do I even know that she's alive?" Lucky asked playing along with the creep.

"You are just going to have to trust me."

"That's not good enough."  
"Okay, fine." He said and put the phone over Sam's ear.

"Lucky don't! It's a trap. He's not going to let either of us go." She pleaded. Jerry then took to the phone away.

"Has she always been the martyr?" Jerry asked. "You have one hour."

Lucky peeled out of the driveway towards the warehouse. Hearing Sam's voice ignited that fire inside of him, but he knew he had to let it cool before facing off against Jerry. Sam played her part beautifully, and he appreciated her confidence in him and their ability to know what the other was plotting with no source of communication between them.

**********

"The swing set is your favorite place in Port Charles?" Dante questioned. "Woman of simple taste, I have to admit, I'm impressed."

"What? You didn't think I'd be taking you to the mall, did you?" She said sitting down on the empty swing as she gained momentum.

"No, it's just coming here from Brooklyn you don't find as many girls like you."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should, would you like a push." He asked respectfully.

"That's okay." She refused as her toes were already pointed towards the sky.

"Ah, so your one of those independent types." He mocked, but liked that about her.

"Oh, you mean that wasn't a part of my introduction. Sorry, I should try it again. Hi my name is Caitlyn Montgomery and I've been taking care of myself since I hit puberty."

Dante caught at the party that she had mentioned her mom was 'whimsical' and dad was nonexistent. He pressed a little harder to see what she was willing to divulge. "What happened?"

Caitlyn took in the fresh air. The swing set was always her safe place growing up where she could feel like she could fly away and be anywhere in the world that she wanted. "Are you sure you want me opening that can of worms?"

"I've already told you my deep, dark secret."

She knew that, which is why she was considering letting him in. "My grandma was the only stable person in my life and she died when I was thirteen."

"What about your ma?"

"She had issues."

"Don't we all." He attempted to relate.

"I mean real issues. She was beautiful, and when her mood was right knew how to have a good time. She always seemed to be able to get men enthralled with her just long enough for them to figure out how crazy she actually was."

"Am I to assume you're not talking the wacky fun kind of crazy?"

Caitlyn smirked. "I wish, no I'm talking the certifiable kind. She suffered from bi-polar and borderline personality disorder."

Dante listened not knowing how to respond to that.

"I pretty much raised her. I had odd jobs, and was taking care of the bills since I was fourteen."

"You seemed to have turned out quite well. Why are you so willing to tell me this?"

"Last night you indicated that you wanted to take this to somewhere real, possibly, at some point. You told me something that you were afraid may send me screaming in the opposite direction, and this is mine."

"Your mom being wacky, and you self sufficient? Not exactly stuff that would send me running."

"Okay, maybe I also thought I might be able to get you to open up a little more."

"About what?"

"Your father?" She answered. She noticed his willingness to admit he didn't have one which usually meant there were more deep routed feelings hidden.

"I don't know anything about him. My ma doesn't even know who he might be."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She sympathized.

"About what?"

"I just know what it's like having a mom so desperate for attention that she'll sleep with just about anyone."

He looked at her confused as she jumped to that conclusion. "I don't. I mean my ma was young when I was conceived. She made some mistakes, sure, but getting pregnant made her re-examine some things."

"Ah huh." Caitlyn responded unconvinced. "Okay, no offense. I'm not saying that it can't happen, but typically women who have so many sexual partners in such a short amount of time where they have no idea who the father may be have more issues than a pregnancy can cure."

"Really? I get that your mom had issues and it probably sparked some curiosity reading out of you, but I'm not sure I understand where you're jumping here?"

"I think it might be possible that your mom has at least some clue who your dad is, and I will completely butt out of this right now." She said drawing back.

"No, why would she lie about it?" Dante was curious about her perspective.

"Probably to protect you. I don't know, I've never met her, but maybe because the guy wasn't good father material."

"Is that what happened with you?" Dante asked wondering how much she knew about her paternity.

"It was similar." She responded, but then completely closed off from the topic.

**********

"I never thought in a million years I would see you on one of these things." Claudia commented to Sonny as they road through the countryside on an electric scooter. Claudia held on tight as Sonny steered.

"I though it might do you some good to get out for awhile." He explained. He was right, for the first time in a while she was genuinely smiling.

"You didn't give me much choice when you told me I had to do this before considering having a baby." She said. She would have been just as happy spending the day in bed with him.

"Okay, we're here." He said pulling into a garden.

"It's nice." She said getting off the scooter, but she wasn't quite sure what they were there for.

"Come here." He pulled on her hand and walked her down a path with sunflowers almost as tall as them on either side of the couple until they came to a gazebo.

"I still don't get it." Claudia remarked as they stood on the gazebo together looking out over the horizon.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's beautiful. Look that way you can see the mountains." She pointed out.

"So?" He asked.

"So what?"

"Will you marry me? Here? Tomorrow?"

"What?" She questioned again.

"Just you, me, a priest, and our vows." He explained. They were already legally married so a license and witnesses were not needed.

"Do you mean that?"

"Yeah, well. When we were married it was to solidify a business deal. I want this to be about something else."

She positively glowed as she smiled. "Are you telling me that you, Sonny Corinthos, love me?"

He flashed his dimples. "Don't ask me when that happened."

"I won't." She replied and pulled him into a kiss.

"Is that a yes?" He asked after they both broke away.


	59. Chapter 59

Lucky pulled into the driveway. As expected security was patrolling the compound. He hadn't sighted any of his guys which he was taking as a good thing. He sat in his seat a couple seconds after turning off the ignition to clear out all distracting thought and any doubts he had going into this.

He opened the car door and extended his hands in air indicating that he was clear of weaponry. The guard at the garage door let him approach and other smaller guy patted him down as the initial guard kept his gun on him.

"He's clear." The second guy said, and the larger guy motioned Lucky to go in. Inside the garage were dozens of large crates which Lucky could only imagine had men standing behind. He looked up to the second floor. The hall opened up to the garage below. He only saw one person guarding the door.

He took the staircase carefully as it looked like the metal could give out at any moment. Lucky approached the guard. He quickly grabbed the guy's right hand and crashed it against the wall behind him dislodging the gun from his grip. He then punched the guy as hard as he could in the jaw causing him to crash to the floor.

Lucky entered the office with the gun drawn. Jerry stood in front of him with the mouth of his pistol aimed at Sam's temple as he held her with his other arm. She was gagged and her arms tied behind her.

"I have to admit Spencer I'm impressed. I never thought you would have the balls to show up."

"Do you really think you intimidate me?" Lucky asked.

"Apparently not, but I suppose it's hard to intimidate someone who is suicidal."

Lucky laughed. "You don't think I'd come without an escape plan? Tell you what. You let Sam go right now and we will walk away. You can disappear for all I care."

"You seem sure of yourself. Are you really that desperate to play the hero? What makes you think you stand a chance?" Jerry asked.

"That." Lucky responded calmly as the gunshots started firing outside.

"Well, I was going to kill you first, but since we're on a time crunch I suppose I can start with her." He responded as his finger started to squeeze the trigger.

"Are you really willing to put another innocent woman in the line of fire?" Lucky commented hoping to distract him.

Jerry let out a disturbing laugh. "You didn't just call this one innocent?" He poked the gun at Sam.

"What about Carly?" He replied trying not to let Jerry get to him.

"Oh come on, how many times do I have to tell you people my sister-in-law is fine. No harm, no foul."

"And you are sure about that?" Lucky questioned. "I have to ask, where exactly are you getting your information from? Did you actually see her medical records?"

Jerry had an informant in Port Charles who was told the same thing as Carly's entire family was; however Jerry did find it odd that she was going in for immediate treatment. "I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work."

"Does that mean you're not interested in knowing about the internal bleeding?"

"You're lying!" Jerry fired back, but the intensity in Lucky's eye was telling him otherwise.

"Potentially fatal." Lucky added. "I haven't heard from her in a week, have you?"

Sam kept her eyes glued to Lucky's. She watched as he attempted to play with Jerry's head, and heard as the gun shots got closer and closer. She felt Jerry's grip weaken as he faced the reality of what Lucky was telling him. Ceasing the opportunity she bent over and drove her heal into the arch of Jerry's foot. Lucky used the distraction to fire a shot in Jerry's direction.

**********

"What is Sonny's family like?" Caitlyn questioned.

"Why do you ask?" Dante found it to be an interesting leap in topics.

"You mentioned last night that you lost your job because you got too close, I was just curious."

"Oh, well, you met his eldest." Dante replied.

"I did?" She tried remembering the people she had met.

"Yeah, you remember Michael from the party?"

"That was Sonny's kid? Interesting. You look more like Sonny than he does." Again she had only mug shots and newspaper articles as a reference.

"He's adopted. But yeah, Sonny is the only father he's ever really known."

"He seems like a good kid, and his girlfriend was too cute." She couldn't remember a time when her relationships were that innocent.

"He is a good kid, as are his siblings. You remember me mentioning the nine-year-old?"

"The one who keeps you from being completely technologically idiotic?"

"That's Morgan." She watched him beam as he mentioned the boy. "You would never think that kid had a gangster for a father. He's the sweetest and warmest kid you'd ever meet. Feisty though, and a pretty good judge of character."

"What was his first instinct about you?"

"We both took to each other quickly. I don't know, I guess I've never really had a little brother, and he looked to me like I could do no wrong."

She listened, hearing exactly why he lost his badge. She too wished to find out that there was a sibling out there she could connect with, unfortunately all hopes of that were lost.

"Cam!" She heard a female scream. "Cameron!"

"Are you okay?" Dante asked watching Caitlyn's face go pale.

"Cameron Webber!"

"Yeah, I just thought I saw a little boy run off that way." Caitlyn answered. "I'm going to see if I can catch up with him. You find the mom."

Caitlyn jumped from the swing and ran across the field towards a wooden area. Dante wandered towards the direction of the screaming.

"Cameron?" Caitlyn asked approaching the little boy.

"I lost my ball." He said pointing up towards an evergreen with a baseball stuck in the branches.

"Did you throw that?" She asked.

He nodded his head profusely.

"You must have some arm." She commented.

The little boy held his right arm in a flexed position.

"Oh wow! Is that a special ball?"

"My daddy gave it to me." Cam answered. "He said to practice while he's away and he'll play when he comes back."  
"Well, then we should get that down don't you think?"

He nodded again.

"Come here." She directed. He stepped forward and Caitlyn picked him up allowing him to grab the ball for himself.

"What do you say?" Elizabeth said as she approached with her youngest in her arms.

"Thank you!" The boy smiled.

"You're welcome, but next time you stay with your mom."

"Okay." He pouted.

"Seriously, thank you. Hi, I'm Elizabeth." She reached out her free arm.

"Caitlyn, and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep."

"Oh no, I'm just glad you found him. I know he just misses his dad."

Caitlyn looked over to Dante. "Yeah, that's a special bond."

"It is." Elizabeth responded. "If there's anyway I can make this up to you let me know."

"Don't worry about it." Caitlyn brushed it off. She was just happy to help.

"Come on Cam, we should get home before it starts getting dark." They started walking away and Cam looked back to wave to Caitlyn before running to catch up with mom and brother.

As she watch the family walk off Dante approached her to hold her hand. He could tell that she envied that. "Hey, why don't we go inside too?" He suggested.

**********

Carly grinned. She couldn't believe that they had spent the majority of the day already in bed together. It wasn't that she was complaining about it, that was the furthest thing from her mind. They were on another break which consisted of Jason running his fingers through her hair as she felt his heartbeat on her cheek.

"Were we going to do anything else?" Jason asked.

"Why? Are you getting bored?"

"No." He laughed. "But we should think about some food."

Carly groaned. "And you had to go there?"

"Seriously, still?"

"It's coming back." She responded knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"We can order anything you want." He replied indicating that it was definitely going to be coming to them.

"I already have what I want." Carly said nibbling on his ear. He tried resisting but it was of no use. She had him exactly where she wanted him and he knew it. He directed her lips to his and started kissing her again as she straddled herself over him.

**********

"What's this?" Claudia asked noticing a package placed on the foot of their bed back at the hotel.

"Open it." Sonny encouraged her.

"Okay." She responded coyly, liking the idea of him surprising her with presents. She ripped the tape off and took out the white Versace gown and then held it out in front of her.

"I thought you could wear it tomorrow." Sonny smiled.

"White? Really?" She found it amusing.

"If you don't like it I can take it back." He said grabbing for the dress.

Claudia turned away before he could get a grip on it. "I don't think so. It's perfect." She liked the slinkiness of it. Claudia was never one for the big, puffy, layered cake looking wedding gowns that tended to be popular.

"There's more." He said bringing her in for a kiss. She wondered what he meant being that the box was empty. He broke briefly to answer her thoughts. "For after."


	60. Chapter 60

Jerry dropped to the ground and Sam ran up to Lucky who untied her constraints before picking her up and twirling her around. He studied every inch of her to see if there was any indication that Jerry had done anything to hurt her.

"I knew you would come." She cried before kissing him. There was never a doubt in her mind that Lucky would find his way to her. He placed his hands over her jaw line and passionately returned the sentiment. They were interrupted by both Luke and Robert busting through the door. Robert went straight over to Jerry.

"It's just a shoulder shot. He should be fine." Lucky told him.

"Ewe. That looks like it hurts." Robert patronized the wounded. "Don't worry I'm going to take real good care of you." He said patting his hand against the bleeding shoulder.

Jerry cringed then muttered. "Who are you?"

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Robert Scorpio. I think you know my daughter." Robert flagged one of his men to help him pick Jerry up. Lucky had given Robert the honor of dragging what was left of Jerry Jax to Port Charles.

Sam was still wrapped up in Lucky's arms as Luke approached. "Nice job Cowboy, how did you do it?"

"With a brilliant cover story. Where did you come up with that?" Sam boasted.

"It wasn't exactly a cover story." Lucky admitted. "I mean, I have no reason to believe that she's not okay."

"What are you talking about?" Luke looked concerned.

"How long have you known?" Sam asked ignoring Luke's question.

"I saw her in the hospital before we took off." Lucky explained.

"Again, what are you talking about?" Luke asked louder.

Lucky told them both about his conversation with Carly before meeting Sam at the airport, and how it was more serious than she was letting people know. He was telling the truth about not hearing from her for the past week, but like everything else he was trying to distance himself from anything that could be a potential distraction.

"That's it I'm calling Barbara Jean." Luke said pulling out his cell phone.

"No!" Lucky screamed out.

"The last time I spoke to my sister she told me that Caroline was sounding tired and weak." He said gravely.

"Then let me call Carly." Lucky responded. "She didn't want her children to know."

"We should get out of here first." Sam suggested. She could only imagine there were men down all over and the police would be arriving shortly.

"Spinelli, have Eduardo bring the car around and jump into the rental." Luke directed in his earpiece.

"Has victory befallen us white hats?" Spinelli inquired.

"That's affirmative." He replied back.

***********

"You really don't have to make me anything." Caitlyn said sitting on the counter in Dante's kitchen.

"I know, but you haven't had Italian food until you've tried my grandmother's sauce." He smiled.

"Does that mean a trip to the Olive Garden doesn't count?"

Dante shuttered at the mere concept. "Okay, what's your favorite dish there?"

"Chicken parmesan, why?"

"Because I will show you how to make it properly."

"Show me? Yeah, I don't think you want me anywhere near that."

"What? You're a nutritionist."

"Just because I know what food is good for you doesn't mean I can cook." She replied.

"Okay, then how did you sustain yourself growing up?" He asked knowing full well she was looking out for her own basic needs.

"I got really good at preparing salads and sandwiches, and if I was really adventurous I even managed to be able to make soup without burning it."

He chuckled. "You realize you don't get to make fun of me for my technological illiteracy anymore?"

"You think so?" She teased.

"Your grandma didn't teach you to make anything?"

"Cookies." Caitlyn admitted. "We'd always bake them together during Christmas time."

"Can you believe it's almost here?" He asked feeling like the autumn had completely flown by.

"No, not really. Are you going back to Brooklyn?" She asked about his holiday plans.

"I don't know. It depends on what my ma is doing. You? Are you going to visit Florida?"

She shook her head no. "There's nothing left for me there."

"What about your ma?" He wasn't sure is she would respond. So far anytime she mentioned her mother it was in the past tense.

"What about her?" She replied. Before he could respond she added. "She's gone, but I have some good friends at school who can't afford to go home for the holiday that I was planning on spending it with."

"Then I don't suppose I could get you to cancel so you can spend it with me?" He asked.

"Seriously?" She responded. Typically when it got to the point she was this evasive men tended to flee.

"Unless you don't want to." He said standing directly in front of her. He had the chicken thawing and sauce simmering. "Come on, let's watch a movie."

Caitlyn used the hand he had reached out as leverage to jump down and for a moment he had her in his arms as he did that first night when they were dancing. It was amazing that with everything she had admittedly been through growing up she did have a genuine zest for life.

***********

"You're going to get sick of pizza, aren't you?" Carly asked lying on the bed with him waiting for the pizza they ordered to be delivered.

"I really could care less." He replied as long as she was eating something.

"Did you know this place has a pool?" Carly commented holding the hotel booklet. She had been looking at it to see if anything from room service sounded appetizing.

"You really have been out of it." Jason teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "No, seriously, we should go tonight."

"If you want."

She knew that was what made them work so well together, all he seemed to want was her safe and happy. He would do anything to make sure that happened.

"Is that your phone?" Jason asked hearing a ringer go off.

"I think so." She said digging in her purse to find it. She looked at the number. "Hi, long time no hear."

"Yeah, sorry about that. You sound good." Lucky responded.

"I'm doing well." She replied then elaborated. "For real this time."

"The bleeding has stopped?" He questioned.

"Completely and the clotting agents are normal." Carly assured him. "Just like I told you it would be. By the way, how is your adventure going? Momma says that people are starting to get worried."

"It's over, and I'm on my way home right now. When do you think you'll be back?" It wasn't until he faced the fear of losing his cousin that he became aware of how much he would miss her.

"This Saturday, assuming I ace my final blood tests."

"You will." He was confident in that. "My plane is about to take off, I should get going."

"Lucky, you haven't told anyone?"

"Not anyone what would say anything, but it doesn't matter now, right?"

"Right. See you soon!" She left it before hanging up.

"You told Lucky?" Jason asked. She hadn't told him that she had confessed her secret to anybody.

"He guessed, and I didn't have the energy to lie." She replied. "Why, did you tell anybody?"

"Just Spinelli." He confessed. "I knew he wouldn't say anything."

"I get it. You needed someone you could be vulnerable around. I asked a lot of you, and you didn't let me down. You've never let me… well, okay maybe when you didn't tell me about your son."

"I'm never going to live that one down, am I?"

"No, I had to hear from Sam." She said disgusted, but what hurt more was the fact that she always wanted to give Jason his child and that was not an option anymore. At this point even if she could conceive she would have no choice but to terminate the pregnancy.

Jason responded as if he was following her train of thought. "You have already given me a family."

She held his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. She was his, and her kids loved him as much as she did, just a different kind of love.


	61. Chapter 61

"Daddy!" Cam and Jake squealed while running with their arms open wide. Lucky's plane had just landed and he went straight to Elizabeth's house to catch them before Cam had to go to school.

"Hey slugger." Lucky greeted Cam who made it to him first. He then picked up Jake and walked towards Elizabeth who stood in her living room with a look of relief painted on her face.

"We missed you." She stated. "I was worried."

"I know, but I did what I had to do." He explained and set Jake down to give Liz a hug.

"I get that. I just wish you would have told me." She whispered to him.

"What? So you could have worried even more?" He pulled away.

"If anything would have happened to you…" She didn't want to think about the possibility.

"When did I stop being your hero?" He asked moving the conversation out of earshot of the boys. "When exactly did you stop trusting me?"

"It's not about trusting you. You disappeared and went after a madman. You got yourself blown up with no regard of the fact there are two little boys here that need you." Elizabeth cried.

"I knew what I was doing. My job is to go after criminals, and I was not going to leave these kids without a father." Lucky explained calmly.

"Can we talk about this later?" She asked looking at the time. She still needed to bring Cam to school and Jake to daycare before starting her shift at the hospital.

"Sure." He conceded.

"Dad?" Cam asked grabbing his school bag.

"What's up bud?"

"Can we play ball later? I've been practicing like you said."

"Absolutely. How about I pick you up after school and take you to the park?" He suggested looking to Elizabeth for the okay.

"I think that's a great idea." Liz smiled.

***********

Sam went straight to the lake house knowing that her mother was probably on a verge of a nervous breakdown considering the amount of time that had passed since the last time she had talked to her. She knocked on the door and patiently waited as Alexis juggled the paperwork in her hands for her upcoming cases. She dropped everything on the floor as she saw her eldest on the other side of the threshold.

"Thank God you are all right." She wrapped her arms around Sam.

"Can I come in?" Sam asked surprised at such a warm reception.

"Oh absolutely." She scooted out of the doorway. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, besides threatening to put a bullet in my skull and attempting his usual mind tricks Jerry did not do anything to harm me."

"Where is he now?" She asked offering Sam a pastry.

"Robert was going to see to it that he got bandaged up and brought to Port Charles. We didn't think that the international airport was the best approach."

"Robert Scorpio?" Alexis questioned.

"Yeah, Lucky decided that reinforcement was needed and the guy does know people everywhere. You should have seen it. He handled himself like a pro, Lucky that is. He had Jerry Jax of all people squirming like a little school girl." Sam gloated.

"You look like you enjoyed that way too much."

Sam smirked. "It was kind of fun. Even with the gun pressed against my temple I knew, I mean I knew that I was going to find an out, and then when I did it was like Lucky and I were reading each other thoughts. As I ducked he knew exactly when to take the shot…"

"I really don't need to hear anymore." Alexis stopped her. The mental picture alone was enough to leave her hyperventilating. It was obvious that wherever Sam got her inherent need for the adrenaline rush it was not from her.

"Without the graphic shooting scenes, what happened? Last I heard Jerry escaped, and then Nikolas comes over here telling me that he grabbed you."

Sam had a long time to think about Jerry's motives, and getting inside his head wasn't a place she was entirely comfortable being but she thought she had some insight as to why he played it the way he had. "Truthfully I think we freaked him out a bit when we showed up in Miami. I mean Lucky was probably the last person he would have expected to be after him. Jason and Sonny would be known enough in that community to give him the heads up. Fortunately for him, he saw us first. I think after that he wanted to know how serious we were about catching him, so he played a game of cat and mouse because at least then he could be the director of the theatre."

"You couldn't catch him off guard again." Alexis clarified.

"Exactly, when he figured out we were serious he decided to take it to the next level and take us out, but he wanted to do it on his own turf."

Sam noticed the hesitance on Alexis' face as she tried to figure out what to do next. She listened to her daughter and the story reiterated what she knew all along, Jerry Jax was a monster, how on earth could she offer him a deal that could potentially put him right back on the street.

"Mom, I know what you're thinking. Lucky and I went after him for justice because a child we both care about lost a chunk of his life that he can never get back."

"You're right. This is the system that I have to believe in. Jerry Jax will eventually see his day in court."

"If he doesn't get killed first." Sam interrupted.

"But right now it's about Claudia." Alexis finished. "I'm going to go to the station give Mac the update. You look like you could use a nap."

Sam could feel herself crashing. She was so hyped up on adrenaline on the flight home that she was unable to get much sleep. "Would you mine if I used my room for a while?"

"No, go for it, that's what it's there for." It had been a long time since Sam attempted living at the lake house they both found that they got along better when they were not living under the same roof.

***********

"Sonny, this is reaching the point of being ridiculous." Claudia said with a full breakfast tray served to her in bed complete with a single white rose. She had no idea what she had done to receive this kind of treatment from him.

"I want this day to be special for you." He responded. Up until this point he had been a horrible husband to her and he knew that had to change.

"Okay, but there's no way I'm going to be able to eat all of this by myself, so you're going to have to help." She said taking a grape from the fruit bowl and placing it in his mouth as he sat on the bed next to her.

What Claudia didn't want to tell him was how nervous she was. Love in the romantic sense was an obscure concept for her. She wasn't sure it existed, and even if it did it was something that had always eluded her. She had talked herself into believing that she did not need it, and instead drove herself to go after something better; power and respect which were her reasons for agreeing to marry Sonny in the first place.

"Are you okay?" Sonny asked picking up on her tension.

"Yeah, there's no reason to be nervous anyway. I mean we're already married."

"I'm not pushing this, am I?"

"No, this is perfect. Okay, maybe if John were here it would be nice, but…" She took a deep breath. "I just never thought I would see this day, and I'm having a hard time believing it."

"I don't know what to tell you to make you believe in me. After Kate was shot on our wedding day I didn't want to love again." Sonny explained. "I had hurt too many people that I cared about because of the choices I made. I agreed to your fathers deal because I convinced myself that I could make it strictly about business. I didn't have to feel anything for you."

"Anything but disdain." She threw in.

"The more I saw myself opening up to you the more I wanted to shut back down." When the allegations that she was involved in Michael's shooting came out it provided him with the perfect opportunity to shut off all the progress that had been gained by her exposing her father's part in Kate's shooting to him. He used that as an excuse to withdrawal emotionally from her, and the more he thought about it the more he realized that if he had just been paying more attention to her their baby may still be alive. He would have never let Carly out driving by herself eight months pregnant and with an ice storm on the forecast. "I should have been looking out for you, and our daughter."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Maybe, but it's not going to happen again." Sonny said resolute. This wasn't about business anymore, it was about family. A family he could have with her and no other.

***********

"Morning ma. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Dante came into his mother's apartment.

"No, not at all. Johnny just left if that's who you were looking for." Olivia explained.

"Actually I was hoping to have a sit down with you."

"This looks serious." She observed which wasn't normal for her boy. He tended to have a rather satirical demeanor.

"Maybe, I met a girl."

"Wow." Olivia was impressed.

"Don't sound so shocked. I can be quite the ladies man."

"I don't doubt that." He took after his father in that regard. "I'm shocked that you care enough about her to tell me about it. I mean does this call for champagne? Can I invite her over for dinner? I'm sure Johnny wouldn't mind if we had you guys over tonight."

"And that is exactly why I don't tend to tell you about them." Dante replied. He knew she just wanted him to be happy, but sometimes the family could be a bit overzealous. "Actually she had me thinking more about my father."

"What about him? I told you sweetheart, I don't know…" Olivia wasn't exactly sure why it was still a secret. One of her worst fears were realized when he started legitimately working for Sonny Corinthos; second only to the fear that Sonny would kill him after finding out he was working undercover. At this point the lie was to maintain her own relationship with her son. She was afraid if he found out after all this time he would hate her forever.

"Are you sure there's no idea?" Dante pressed.

"Dante that was another lifetime ago for me."

"How many guys were there? It just… it doesn't make sense. I've never known you to sleep around so freely."

"Where is this coming from? I thought we've already had this conversation."

"Yeah, when I was a little boy. I get it if you were trying to protect me. That makes sense. That at least is consistent."

Olivia wasn't sure what this girl was putting into her son's head to question her. "How is work going? Johnny says you were out on a job the other night." She not so subtly changed topics.

"It was fine, but you know full well you shouldn't be discussing that with him."

"Okay then, what's this girl like?" Olivia asked. Dante knew his mother was just as stubborn as he was. He had stumbled on something but he wasn't going to get it out of her.

"She's nice, pretty, and smart." He described. "You'd like her."

"The invitation is open. If you want to invite her over I'd love to meet her."

"I'll let her know. I should go." He said observing his mom studying her watch. "I wouldn't want you to be late for your shift."


	62. Chapter 62

"Commissioner Scorpio, I was hoping to run into you." Alexis approached Mac. "Have you spoken to Lucky yet?"

"No, he just went upstairs to your office. Would it be alright if I joined you?"

"Please do." Alexis encouraged. He followed her to the room where Lucky was seated on the chair across from Alexis' desk.

"Nice to see you made it back in one piece." Alexis smiled. "I can't thank you enough for saving my daughter."

"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't, but she was just as responsible for Jerry's capture as I was." He deferred the credit.

"So, what now Spencer? Are you resuming your position here or is the exciting life of a PI more alluring?" Mac questioned.

"However thrilling that was I think it's best for my boys that I take back my badge, as long as you're still offering?" He looked to Alexis. As tempted as he was to forge a partnership with Sam the benefits that came along with his position at the PCPD were decent enough that he couldn't ignore them and he refused to go in and out of her children's life the way his father had. However it didn't mean that he would never work another case with Sam if needed.

"It's yours. Have you heard back from Robert?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah, they should be arriving Thursday evening."

"Robert? As in my brother?" Mac questioned. "How did he end up in all of this?"

"I needed back up." Lucky simply explained.

"And Robert was all too willing to comply." Mac said sarcastically.

"Hey, give the old guy some credit. I couldn't have done it without him." Defended Lucky.

"Does that mean he will be back here? Robin will be thrilled." With only a couple weeks left until Christmas he hoped that Robert may stay at least through the holiday.

"Assuming he can keep Jerry in tote both should be here tomorrow." Lucky repeated. "Don't worry though; I imagine Robert is loving every minute of it."

Mac smirked. He only wished it was him that got to torment Mr. Jax after what he did at the MetroCourt.

"Here." Alexis said handing Lucky back is badge. "Take the day off, and get some rest."

"Will do." Lucky replied, and he still needed to show his face to his siblings.

***********

Robert sat in Jerry's hospital room following the surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder. After leaving the warehouse he brought Jerry to a government run medical facility. His arms and legs were shackled to the bed making it impossible to go anywhere.

"Where am I?" Jerry asked groggily upon waking.

"Your own personal hell, and hey, I'm playing gate keeper." Robert retorted.

"You still need me to cooperate." Jerry responded.

"Nah, I actually hope you don't." He replied honestly. Without complying against Claudia the PCPD had ample evidence to lock Jerry up for quite a while, and he was sure there were enough inmates that would ne willing to do an inside job.

"Then why would you save me?"

"You weren't going to die?" Robert laughed. "I mean an infection would be kind of nice, but I respect Spencer enough to give his niece a sense of closure. If you can do that for her it may warm me up enough to you that I don't hire a sharp shooter to put a plug in you the moment you step out of the courtroom following your testimony."

"Is Carly okay?" Jerry asked sincerely. He knew that Lucky used her condition to throw him off his guard, but that didn't negate the look of terror in his eyes as he mentioned the possible prognosis.

"So you do have a soul?" Robert observed. "I don't know."

"I want to talk to her before I agree to anything." He demanded.

"I'll see what I can do about that."

**********

"Luke, you're back." Ethan stated as he stocked the bar at the haunted star.

"You can call me dad." Luke responded. "Sorry about the sudden disappearance."

"I've been told to get used to that. No worries here. How were the thrilling heroics?"

"Thrilling. Unfortunately next comes the fallout." Luke replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ethan asked.

"I was just about to ask the same thing?" Bobbie added walking aboard the floating casino.

"Barbara Jean you are looking fabulous today, can I get you anything?" Luke sweet talked his sister. He had invited her over hoping to give her the heads up himself.

Bobbie approached the bar and sat on a stool. "All right, lay it on me."

Luke motioned Ethan to pour her something from the cabinet. "I thought you would be interested in knowing about the trial that the district attorney is about to get started."

She held onto the glass listening to the catch that she knew was coming.

"Your nephew just tracked down the evidence needed to put the latest Mrs. Corinthos behind bars for the shooting of your grandson." Luke explained.

Bobbie took a large gulp from the glass. "I thought Jerry was responsible." She remembered the show down between Jax, Jason, and Sonny outside of the nursery the night Britni was born. It wasn't that Jerry's involvement was any better; the man he had become was a mere shell of the person she had once loved.

"Jerry was the person Claudia hired to perform the hit." Luke explained. "He backed out and brought Ian Devlin into it."

"What kind of evidence did Lucky find?" Bobbie asked signaling Ethan for another shot.

"Jerry." Luke replied.

"And he's willing to testify?"

Luke shrugged not sure of his willingness. "He will if he wants a chance to get out of this."

"Does Carly know?"

"Lucky spoke to her last night, but no he didn't bring up either Jerry, Claudia, or the investigation."

She took a deep breath. She could tell just by talking to her daughter that she was on the mend. Bobbie figured that the best bet was to hear it from her before getting bombarded with too much as she arrived home. "I'll call her."

"Want another?" Ethan asked as she got up.

Bobbie held her hand out indicating she had enough and then walked out.

"Well that went well." Ethan said sarcastically to his dad. Luke shrugged, it could have been worse.

***********

Carly had just pulled up to the hotel following their trip to the clinic when her phone went off. She waved Jason to go inside while she walked the beach talking to her mother. While inside he decided to make his own phone call.

"Johnny?" Jason asked as soon as he answered.

"It's me." Johnny answered. "What can I help you with?"

"I got a message saying there was an attack on the pier, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Dante and I took care of it. There was a slight uprising in your absence. I called Sonny about it to let him know." Johnny explained. He was hoping to leave Jason out of it.

"You've talked to Sonny recently?" Jason inquired.

"Yes, briefly. Why? Haven't you?"

"No, he hasn't been answering my calls."

"I'm sure it's nothing personal."

"No, I didn't think it was. He has his wife to take care of. How is your sister, by the way?" Jason was attempting to feel out how much Sonny was aware of.

"She's been better, but even I have to admit Sonny has really stepped it up, and has been pretty decent."

Jason looked out the window to see Carly yet again on the verge of tears. "Johnny, I have to go." He said suddenly and ran out to see her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." She said still shaking.

"You don't look fine." Jason observed.

"I think my hormones are still trying to work themselves out. My mom said that Alexis is opening up a case against Claudia for Michaels shooting. Apparently it is public knowledge at this point. Spinelli found the disc and Lucky and Sam were able to locate Jerry." She added questioningly. She knew Lucky was after something, but had no idea it was that.

Jason was aware that Spinelli was looking for Jerry, but he was so preoccupied with Carly's health crisis to follow up on it. "Is that what you want?" Jason asked.

"I want Claudia out of my kid's life, unavailable to harm them ever again." Carly responded. It wasn't about revenge or closure. She got her closure when Michael woke up and wrapped his arms around her for the first time. "And I don't want you in a situation where you are on trial for her murder, or the victim of Johnny's revenge. I need you Jase."

"I wouldn't let that happen, but if this is what you want I will support it one hundred percent."

"I think so." She nodded.


	63. Chapter 63

"Oh thank God!" Lulu exclaimed as Lucky walked through the door of Kelly's.

"Missed you too, sis." Lucky said pulling up a seat.

"You had us worried." Nikolas added. Lucky had called them over for a late lunch after catching a quick nap.

"Is that Liz talking?" Lucky questioned.

"What can I get you guys?" Mike asked approaching the table. Each gave their order before going back to the conversation.

"Okay, so she was a bit more worried than she probably should have been." Nik sympathized hoping to give his brother some credit.

"I don't know, Jerry Jax?" Lulu interrupted.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." What Lucky figured out through the ordeal was that Jerry Jax was a man, plain and simple. He had his strengths and weaknesses, and in a one-on-one bout Lucky could easily take him.

"It's not that." Nikolas attempted to defend her. "You disappeared, which was unusual for you, and then we dig up an article saying that you have been blown up."

"Which was nothing. I know what you are thinking and I didn't even take an aspirin for it." He could only assume the fear of him going back on pain killers loomed over everyone's heads. "Can we please talk about something else? How is it going between you and Matt?"

"Good." Lulu was happy to change subjects. It wasn't going anywhere, and obviously Lucky was okay. "We checked out that Jazz/Blues club that you kept raving about."

"And?" Lucky inquired as to her experience.

"And I see why you like it so much. Good atmosphere, great music, Matt seemed to get into it as well."

"Nice, maybe I will like him after all." Lucky teased.

"Hi Michael." Lulu called out noticing Michael and a girl walk in. She hadn't noticed that it was after the high school must have let out.

"Do you know them?" Alyssa asked pointing at the blonde waving in his direction.

Michael had completely missed Lulu's greeting. "Oh yeah, more family." He explained and then walked her over to meet them.

"This is Lucky and Lulu Spencer and Nikolas Cassadine."

"And you are?" Nikolas asked politely shaking her hand.

"Alyssa Johnson." She answered.

"As in Lieutenant Johnson's daughter?" Lucky asked. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere. He has a picture of you on his desk."

"That would be me." She said shyly. "Do you think you could do me a favor and not tell him that you met me this way?"

Both teens pulled up a seat.

"Dad not happy with the choice of boyfriend?" Lulu gathered. Not that Luke paid attention to anyone she dated. She had her brothers to take care of that.

"That's putting it mildly." She replied. "I think the phrase was 'adamantly forbade' me from seeing him."

"Which kind of puts a cramp in our plans to go to the ski lodge together." Michael mentioned. He had hoped that she would be willing to talk to her parents about it and try to convince them to give him a chance.

"I know, I just don't see them letting up."

"If it helps I can put in a good word for you." Lucky volunteered.

"Thanks but I'm not sure his cousin being a cop makes up for the fact that his dad is the regional Godfather."

Nikolas smirked at the comment.

"Hey, that's not funny." Lulu giggled.

"Thanks for the support guys, really." Michael said not understanding the joke. He couldn't help who his dad was anymore than any one of them could. Whereas Luke's crimes may not be as comparable to Sonny's. Stavros Cassadine was worse.

"Hey, I tried." Lucky cut in.

"Thanks, actually, there was something else I was wondering if any of you could help with."

"What's that?" Lulu asked.

"I'm moving back to my mom's on Friday and was wondering if anyone could help with the boxes, you wouldn't believe how much accumulates in just a few months."

"Absolutely, I'm in." Lulu volunteered. "It will give me a chance to see Britni."

"I can help." Lucky added.

"I'm probably going to have to pass." Nikolas responded. He wasn't sure how he felt being in the same vicinity as Jax, especially after what he walked in on at Alexis'.

"That's okay it shouldn't take that much."

After finishing her lunch Lulu quickly rushed off. She still had errands to run for the magazine. Shortly after Nikolas had to pick up Spencer.

"Hey Michael, have you talked to your mom recently?" Lucky asked. He had talked to his dad on the flight home about the best way let both Carly and Michael know about the impending charges against Claudia. Luke was going to tell Bobbie in hopes that she could break it to Carly who in turn could tell Michael. Lucky just hoped that Michael didn't get the chance to hear it from someone else first.

"Not for a couple days, I was going to call her tonight. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No. I talked to her last night and it sounded like she was missing you, that's all."

"I've been working on assignments before finals came up, but will definitely talk to her soon."

"Good. I should pick up Cam, I promised to bring him to the park after school." Lucky excused himself from the table.

***********

For the second day in a row Caitlyn found herself on the swing set. This time was after a day of work and classes staring out over the field feeling herself go higher and higher on the swing until she felt like her toes may reach the clouds. The wind pounded against her face leaving a frigid burn that she was too lost in her own thoughts to feel. Dante had called her earlier that day to invite her to dinner with his mother; the concept was absolutely frightening. Her relationship with her mother could never be described as healthy and that alone tended to muck up any socialization she attempted with any of her previous boyfriend's mothers, but the speed in which this relationship was progressing was overwhelming. She liked him a lot, and one who believed in the concept could almost go as far as saying it could be described as love at first sight, but something inside of her fought that. Ever since she was a little girl whenever she let herself get to a point where something was valuable to her it was shortly taken away. She had put up enough walls and defenses to protect herself, but Dante somehow found his way past them.

"Hi!" Cameron waved to her breaking her conversation.

"Do you know her?" A man asked carrying the boy's baseball.

"She's my new girl friend." Cameron announced.

"Oh really?" He responded.

Caitlyn decided to jump from the swing to introduce herself.

"Hello." Caitlyn extended her hand out. "My name is Caitlyn, Cam's mom brought him out here yesterday to get some practice, and we bumped in to each other."

"She helped me get my ball out of the tree." Cam explained.

"That was very nice of her." He said to the boy. "I'm Lucky Spencer."

"You have a good kid there. I'm not so sure about the girlfriend bit though. I pretty sure I'm taken."

"But you are. You're a girl, and you're a friend." Cam explained.

"Well, I suppose you are right." She conceded. It was an interesting take from the little boy maybe all she needed to do was simplify it a little bit.

"Can she play?" Cameron asked his dad.

"You're going to have to ask her." Lucky responded, and Cam looked to her with his puppy dog eyes that she couldn't possibly pass up.

"Okay, but I have to warn you, I throw like a girl."

"Well you are a girl." Cameron added.

"Yes, yes I am." She laughed and caught the ball that Cameron threw at her.

***********

The harp was playing a sweet melody as Claudia hiked the candlelit path of the wildflowers. The dress draped beautifully over her silhouette, and she walked towards him with a beam in her eye that he had yet to know existed. She carefully took the steps feeling like her knees may cave beneath her, and approached Sonny with both hands extended towards him to grab and hang on to. The priest cued the harpists to finish as they both gazed lovingly into each others eyes, feeling like that were staring straight into their partner's soul.

"We are here today among the splendor of God's creations with the God Almighty bearing witness to the testimony and exchange of vows given between a husband and wife." The priest began the private service. "I ask that you speak from the heart; allowing yourself to open your soul and cast away all fears as you embark on this rejuvenation of your life together."

The priest looked to Sonny to begin.

"They say that when you stop looking for something you find exactly what you were searching for. I've spent my life looking for someone that I could share that time with; someone with the perfect mixture of strength and tenderness that I have found in you. I didn't want to believe it because I gave up hoping that a perfect someone existed, but before I end up losing everything I hoped to find I need to admit to myself and to you that I love you Claudia."

A single tear found a path down Claudia's cheek as she heard him utter those words to her for the first time. "Unlike you I never searched for that great love. I had convinced myself a long time ago that either it didn't exist or I didn't deserve it. I've seen the movies, I've read to poems, and I've listened to the songs describing that perfect someone; that someone that being in their presence can make you feel whole. I've thought about leaving, about running away, but there were those moments when we were together and connected and in the moments for the first time in my life I felt complete and deserving of that love that I had previously denied myself of."

"Do you Michael Corinthos Jr. take Claudia Zacchara to be your lawfully wedding wife, to have and to hold in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Sonny responded.

"And do you Claudia Zacchara take Michael Corinthos Jr…"

"I do." She interrupted.

"Then by the power invested in me I renew the bond between husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Sonny cradled his wife's neck and pulled her in closer by guiding her back with his free arm to passionately kiss her. Claudia lingered as she swore she heard fireworks going off above her. The Tuscan sun had just about fully set and for the first time the moment she described in her vows felt like eternity.


	64. Chapter 64

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Jason asked which his arm draped over Carly's shoulder. Carly hadn't moved since getting off the phone with her mother. She sat out mesmerized by the waves.

"Do you know how many times I've replayed that night in my head?" She asked rhetorically. "I went over every detail, and attempted to examine everybody's reaction. You do realize that Claudia used me as her alibi? She stood in the lobby of my hotel fighting me over the man she was attempting to kill as my Mr. Man got shot."

Jason breathed deeply and listened. He hated when she did this to herself, and he knew that the trial was only going to dig up more. He hoped Carly was strong enough for it.

Carly felt her cell phone go off. She looked down to see that it was Michael.

"What is it?" Jason asked noticing her hesitance.

"Do I tell him?"

"I think you should."

"Michael?" She quickly picked up the phone before it went to voicemail.

"Hi mom."

"You have no idea how much I've missed hearing your voice." She responded.

"I've missed you, too. You sound good." He noticed.

"Yeah, I'm getting stronger." She explained. "I think there's something I need to tell you."

"What's that?" He started to freak out. "You're okay, right?"

"I'm fine. I guess I'm just going to come out and say it. New evidence has come to light in the investigation of the shooting at the warehouse. Jerry Jax is going to testify to the fact that Claudia was the one who hired the hit against your father."

Michael froze not knowing how to respond. He hadn't realized that his mom was aware of his stepmother's involvement.

"Michael, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I actually knew about that, well, not about the testifying, but I found out about Claudia's involvement shortly before dad did." Michael explained.

"Sonny knows?!" Carly asked with furry.

Michael realized he probably shouldn't have told her that. "Yes. She confessed after the miscarriage."

Carly felt her blood start to boil. "Sonny brought her to Italy knowing that she was…"

"Mom, calm down please. I know what happened and why, and she's a threat anymore."

"Really? Since when?"

"Since she fell for dad and stopped wanting him dead."

"That viper doesn't know what love is!" Carly screamed. "And being with Sonny hasn't stopped her from being reckless and hiring more hits. Did she tell you about blowing up Jerry's car and almost taking Jason down with it?" It didn't take much for Carly to piece that one together after having the rest of the puzzle in place.

"What are you talking about?"

"That bi….!"

Jason grabbed the phone away from her. "Michael, can I call you back?"

"Yeah." Michael answered before Jason hung up.

"What is Sonny thinking? What am I talking about? He can't be thinking, at least not with his brain. God knows most of the time the only thing operating if the lower extremities…" Carly started to ramble.

"Carly, I need you to count to ten. I mean it, slow down…"

"I thought it was bad when he defended Kate Howard, the self righteous piece of trash that brought Michael to the warehouse to begin with. But this… this takes the cake! Does he really feel he can stand behind the woman that…"

"Stop!" Jason yelled. He could feel her trembling. "You may be on blood pressure pills, and thinners and thickeners and who knows what all else. But regardless, this is not good for you."

"We could have lost him." Carly cried.

"We didn't, and we won't." Jason replied. "Let me deal with Sonny."

**********

"I hope you weren't waiting long." Caitlyn said approaching Dante on the steps outside of Olivia's building.

"No, not long, so, you nervous?"

"I was." Caitlyn answered honestly. It wasn't so much about meeting his mom as it was what it meant for their stage in the relationship.

"Until?"

"Until I got the infinite wisdom of a first grader who simply put it as a relationship is two people liking each other."

"Are you trying to say that you like me?" Dante grinned.

"Apparently I need to clarify." She said attempting to give him a kiss on the cheek. He turned his head at the last second to connect with the lips and drew her in. "We… should probably…"

"What?" He asked then continued kissing her.

"Um… dinner's almost ready." Johnny said opening the door behind them.

"Right." Dante pulled away. "I suppose I should do the formal introduction thing. Johnny Zacchara this is Caitlyn Montgomery."

"Nice to meet you." He replied and they followed his up the stairs.

"Ma, this is Caitlyn." Dante said entering the kitchen.

"Hello Ms. Falconeri. I didn't know what we were having so I brought both red and white wine figuring one of them would go with." Caitlyn explained.

"That was very considerate, but please call me Olivia."

"Okay, did you need any help setting the table?" Caitlyn offered.

"No, I will take care of that." Johnny volunteered.

"Dante says you're a graduate student." Olivia opened up the conversation.

"Yeah, I transferred from southern Florida to PCU my junior year and then ended up staying there for my masters." Caitlyn explained.

"That didn't put you too far behind?" Olivia inquired.

"No, I was mostly taking generals which transferred over. I'll be graduating in May."

"Congratulations, what are you hoping to do?"

"Not sure. I'll probably continue on with the personal training I've been doing."

"Well, if you want something more stable the spa at the MetroCourt if looking for a trainer." Olivia offered. She and Jax had been throwing around the idea thinking it could be beneficial to the guests.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'd need to talk to the owners but I don't see a problem. You're certified, right?"

"Yes."

"Whoa, okay wait. Do I have a vote in this?" Dante cut in not sure if he liked the idea of his mom and girlfriend working together.

"Are you offering benefits?" Caitlyn looked to Olivia.

"Full medical, and dental, as well as 401K."

Caitlyn turned her attention over to Dante. "Um… no, you really don't." She answered the question about his vote.

Johnny laughed as he finished setting the table. "I like this girl." He commented.

"Here, let me help you with that." Caitlyn offered as Olivia started bringing dishes to the table.

"She really doesn't know how to be taken care of, does she?" Johnny whispered to Dante, noticing her willingness to help with anything.

"No, she really doesn't." He whispered back.

"This looks amazing." Caitlyn commented on the full Italian cuisine. Then looked over to Dante. "Remind me to make it 10 miles tomorrow."

Johnny smiled. "Tell me about it, I can't believe that I haven't 50 lbs since seeing her."

"What got you interested in fitness?" Olivia asked ignoring Johnny's comment.

"Well, actually I started out as a psychology major at USF. After taking a couple courses I realized that 75% of the business was in medication pushing, and that really wasn't all that appealing to me. What I found was that exercise could release some of the same chemicals without putting in more crap that the body starts building a tolerance for anyway." Part of her always feared turning into her mother. Caitlyn saw the person she had become and the amount of prescriptions she had taken. She knew the likelihood of predisposition to mental illness, but as long as she was physically active she felt more balanced.

"You don't think that medication has its place?" Olivia asked knowing the bi-polar diagnosis that Sonny had been given.

"No, I don't mean that. Of course it does. I just think we currently live in a society that thinks it's the only option. Take blood pressure as an example, there are people that are clinical hypertensive that really do need it to prevent themselves from having a stroke or heart trouble, but a majority of the people on it could probably be taken off if they stopped hitting the fast food and frozen dinners and took a walk around the neighborhood three times a week."

"I can't argue with that." Dante weighed in.

Dinner conversation continued. Caitlyn was happy when others weighed in, and listened to them talk about their life and stories. She watched the interactions between Olivia and Dante and knew there was a bond there that she never had with her mother, but based on her own observation she was surer than ever that Olivia was hiding something about Dante's paternity.

"Are you ready for dessert?" Olivia asked as the boys complained of overindulging.

"If you have tiramisu in there I may have to warn you that I'm never leaving." Caitlyn teased.

"Okay Dante, she's a keeper." Olivia responded. "And yes, it's my family's recipe. You haven't tasted real tiramisu until you've tried this."

"That's what Dante said about your family's sauce, which by the way was fantastic."

"You girls can enjoy that. I need to take this." Dante said looking down at his phone, a call was coming in from Sonny. At the same time Johnny was moving out of the room to take a call from his sister.

***********

Upon arriving back at the inn Sonny had the staff draw up a bubble bath for Claudia to enjoy while he set the mood in the bedroom. She let herself lay back in the warm water listening to the melody in the background as she lifted her leg applying the razor hoping to get that soft fresh shaven feel praying for the evening to go perfectly, hoping the result of which would be their child's conception.

She found the black-laced lingerie set out as well as a silk robe to throw over it and walked out where candles lit the room and the bed was full of rose pedals. Sonny invited Claudia into his arms as he pressed play on the CD player.

"No more talk of darkness;

Forget those wide-eyed fears.

I'm here, nothing can harm you;

My fears will warm and calm you."

"Let me be your freedom;

Let daylight dry your tears.

I'm here, with you beside you;

To guard you and to guide you."

She listened to the lyrics while holding onto him tightly resting her head on his shoulder and he pressed his lips against her neck, and stroked her back as they gracefully swayed to the song.

"All I ask is every waking moment;

Turn my head with talk off summertime.

Say you need me with you now and always;

Promise that all you say is true;

That's all I ask for you."

He untied the strap holding together her robe and let it slip off of her. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he guided her over to the bed.

"Let me be your shelter;

Let me be your light.

You're safe, no one with find you;

Your fears are far behind you."

As the song continued she unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing and tore it off of him as their lips refused to part. Shortly after he threw his slacks to the other side of the room; they broke only briefly to make sure the fabric didn't touch the flames.

"All I want is freedom;

A world with no more night.

And you, with me beside me;

To hold me and to hide me."

Claudia laid back and picked up a pedal to drag over the contours of his midsection, and down to his thigh. He pressed himself against her as she approached the sensitive areas clutching the back of her neck and entwining his tongue with hers.

"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime;

Let me lead you from your solitude.

Say you need me with you, here beside you;

Anywhere you go let me go too.

Christine, that's all I ask of you."

She smiled as he kissed the path from her ear down to find himself pulling her thongs past her ankles allowing her to kick them off the bed.

"All I ask for is one love, one lifetime;

Say the word and I will follow you.

Share each day with me, each night, each morning;

Say you love me! You know I do;

Love me, that's all I ask of you."

As the lyrics ended and the music picked up Sonny inserted himself into her and let the rest of the world disappear. He blocked out the ringtone from the pocket of his slacks that were disposed of somewhere across the room.

"Anywhere you go let me go to;

Love me, that's all I ask of you."

The CD continued with an arrangement of ballads. Claudia gave herself over to him completely as she found pleasure in him multiple times, and in multiple ways. They found themselves practically gasping for breath as he laid on her bare chest; both their arms were stretched out with their fingers locked.

"Can you make that stop? Please!" Claudia asked as the cell phone went off for the eighth time.

Sonny got up and stomped over to the phone. "Somebody better be dead or dying." He answered not checking to see who had called.

"Funny, I was going to tell you the same thing." Jason replied. He had sent Carly down to the swimming pool as he attempted to reach Sonny.

"What is this about?" Sonny asked backing down.

"Claudia confessed?"

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, that." Jason replied angrily.

"She had just lost her child, _our_ child. What was I supposed to do smother a pillow over her face in the hospital bed?"

"Ah, well, not forgive her." Jason responded.

"Jason, it's over, and you know that it was just as much my fault as it was hers." Sonny attempted to smooth over causing Jason to lash out more.

"You're right. This all could have been prevented if I did what I should have after you put the bullet in Carly's brain." He seethed.

Sonny took a couple moments to close his eyes, take a breath, and contemplate his response. "What now? Are you going to come out here and kill us both?"

Claudia tensed up not needing to hear Jason's side to know what was going on.

"Out of respect to Michael and Johnny, no." Jason replied. Before attempting to reach Sonny Jason had called Michael to explain the situation further. Michael understood his mother's need for justice. He may have lost a year, but she had to live with the grief daily struggling to get herself out of bed and keep going. His only request was that Jason let the courts decide the appropriate punishment. "But within 24 hours the PCPD will have Jerry Jax in their custody. If he provides Mac with his account, charges will be pressed against Claudia. The choice is yours; disappear now or come back and let her face the music. Either way considering this warning my final act as your enforcer."

Sonny stared at the phone after Jason hung up dumbfounded as he processed the information.

"Sonny?" Claudia tried to break the spell.

He silently walked back to the bed to sit down next to her before reiterating what Jason had just told him.

"What do we do?" Claudia asked.

"I'll stand behind whatever you decide, but it's your choice."

"I don't want to be on the run forever." She replied. It would not be fair to the child she hoped to have or her brother, which was the only family she had.

"It's your word against Jerry's. Any competent lawyer can establish reasonable doubt." Sonny replied.

"And Dianne Miller is the best, right?" Claudia was happy that Sonny had her back; especially when taking in consideration the costs.

"Right." He responded. "I should let Dante know about the Jason situation."

"I should tell Johnny we're coming home." Claudia added.

**********

As the men scattered to answer their calls in private Olivia took the opportunity to start the conversation she was hoping to have.

"You're right, this is beyond words." Caitlyn took a bite of the espresso coated crème filled delight.

"And you're a woman of good taste. Dante mentioned that you were smart, but I can also tell how perceptive you are." Olivia noticed.

"This is about Dante's dad." Caitlyn gathered.

"It wasn't easy evading suspicion from everyone, including him, but I was starting to feel like he was getting to a point where he didn't need that."

"He'll always need that. He's been missing a part of himself and using sarcasm and a certain degree of narcissism to cover for it."

"You sound like a voice of experience."

"I haven't told Dante much of this." She confessed. "My mom hid my father's identity from me. Whenever I asked she blew me off by saying I was better off because my dad didn't want me. It got to the point where I started to believe she didn't even know who it was, but that didn't keep me from looking to every man around my mother's age wondering if we shared genetic traits."

"I'm sorry, but she was probably just trying to protect you." Olivia defended the woman she had never met.

"Maybe. A few years ago my mom died of an intentional overdose of psychotropics. In her suicide note she left me my father's name. Only by the time I had the opportunity to look for him he was already dead." She explained calmly. "Maybe my mom was right. Maybe he didn't want me, but I will never get the chance to know. If there's anything I hold against my mother, it's that."

"What did I miss?" Dante asked trying not to show the concern he was feeling over his phone call.

"Not much. Girl talk." Caitlyn covered figuring that she was going to leave it up to Olivia as to what she took from her story.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that." Dante teased.

"Yeah well, I was just saying how tired I was feeling." Caitlyn replied.

"Let me walk you home. It can get scary out there." Dante offered.

"Don't forget to give your ma a hug." Olivia said. As Dante held his mom she whispered into his ear. "I love you, sweetie. Oh, and she's a keeper."

"Thanks ma." He laughed it off.

"I mean it, bring her by any time." She hollered as they left.

After they were out of eyesight Olivia sat down on the sofa to replay the young girl's story in her head. The question she kept asking herself was if knowing would ultimately hurt Dante more.

"That looks heavy." Johnny said reading her expression.

"I could say the some thing." She replied, and Johnny simply nodded.


	65. Chapter 65

"I want to go home." Carly announced upon waking.

"We can't yet." Jason replied.

"Why not? My numbers have been fine, and it's just a matter of a blood test that I can just as easily do at General Hospital." She explained.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" He asked noticing her toss and turn all night.

"Some. Jase, I miss my children, and with the trial starting and the divorce preceding I feel I need to be there."

"I understand that, but for all those reasons I need to know you're okay first." He did not want to think about the possibility of a relapse.

"What if I call the clinic and get the approval?"

"Then we will take the first plane out of here, but there's still another hour before the clinic opens so if there's anything I can do to distract you until then..?"

"Anything?" Her eyes lit up.

"Yeah, I suppose I can sacrifice myself for the cause."

"Sacrifice? Fine. I'm not in the mood anymore." She pouted.

"Oh, get over here." He said pulling her on top of him.

**********

"Spinelli, don't you ever, ever do that to me again." Maxie thrashed him as he entered her apartment.

"My humble apologies, the Jackal wanted fiercely to divulge the information needed to ensure the emotional welfare of his dearest Maximista; however the Protector Sir made a compelling case detouring him from thus. If it is of any consolation I can now assure you that my personage was never in mortal jeopardy."

"Maybe a little." She hugged him. "But you scared me, and don't try acting all offended that I don't trust your masculinity in the field. It's not about that, it's about caring about you so badly it hurts sometimes, and history has taught me that when that happens I start losing people."

"The Jackal promises that he shall do all that is necessary to never part from this mortal coil as long as his fair Maximista depends on his company."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Maxie replied. "Now that you're all safe and sound, how did it go? Has Jerry been caught? Another case been solved?"

"Through the efforts of a great ensemble cast we were able to apprehend our target. And I do sense that love is in the air for the heroic pair that set forth in this adventure to capture the Unhinged One…"

"Sam and Lucky, really?" Maxie sounded excited. "I always did think that Sam was way better suited for him that Elizabeth."

"You should have seen it." Spinelli gushed. "As the blue dot made his way through the menacing halls, and tearing down all who opposed to find its way to rescue the captive pink dot from the dastardly clutches of its sinister rival."

"Okay, you've officially lost me there, but if it means that both Sam and Lucky are safe and practicing making purple dots, while Jerry it detained I will consider it a good thing."

***********

"Hi." Sam smiled on the doorstep of Lucky's house.

"Hi." He replied a little surprised to see her.

"I know I probably should have called…"

"No, no that's fine. I actually couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Really?" Sam reacted as if she was a seventh grader with her first real crush.

"Here, come in." Lucky invited her into the living room. "How did the homecoming go?"

"It went fine, good even. My mother hugged me." She wasn't used to that kind of response from Alexis.

"She seemed grateful when I saw her at the station." Lucky didn't want to cut the visit short, but looking at the time he did realize he had to get going soon. "Is there any particular occasion that inspired this visit?"

"Maybe." She bit her lower lip. "Well, ah…" She hesitated. "When we were, you know…"

Lucky smiled as the girl who put herself on the line against a psychopath appeared afraid to ask him a simple question.

"When we were out there, it was…"

"It was amazing, and we worked together brilliantly." Lucky helped her out.

"Right, do you think we might try it again sometime?" Sam finished her thought.

"You want to know if I will work with you again?" Lucky repeated. "Sure, yeah, if you need the help."

"Okay, good." She said about to stand up.

"Wait!" He stopped her. "Sam, it wasn't just the plotting and tracking that was amazing. We worked amazingly." He reiterated pulling more emphasis on the 'we'.

She responded with a playful half smile. "We did."

"Yes." He confirmed.

"What about Elizabeth?" She didn't want to bring up her name. It just blurted out. Both her and Liz seemed to have the same taste in men and had come to blows over it in the past.

"What about her?" He replied. While dropping off Cameron he and Liz had a much needed discussion about where they were and what that meant for their future. Lucky was and always would be her children's father, but the passionate love they had faded through too much distrust and dishonesty for them to recover from.

"Isn't she?" Sam started. The last thing she knew they were attempting to make it work, and it was looking like it was heading that direction again.

Lucky stood up to approach her putting his arms around her. "She's not an issue." He insisted before bending over to kiss her.

***********

"Bobbie, hi." Alexis said on the other side of the threshold. "How's Britni doing?"

Bobbie had her granddaughter cradled in her arm as she answered the doorbell. "She's doing well. It's almost time for her morning nap. Is there something I can help you with?"  
"Is Jax here?"

"Yes, he was just getting ready to go into the office for a bit. Is this about Jerry?" Bobbie questioned.

"Yeah?" She looked at her in inquisitively.

"Luke told me, and I do appreciate your help in all this."

"Does he know?"

"Do I know what?" Jax asked hearing the tail end.

"That your brother is being brought to the PCPD this afternoon." Alexis answered.

"No, I hadn't heard that. When exactly? I'd love to pay him a visit." Jax replied coldly.

"Last update had him coming in at 3 pm, but I get first crack at him." Being district attorney had its privileges.

Jax and Alexis continued their conversation to the cars while Bobbie went to put Britni down for her nap.

"Grandma, guess what?!" Morgan bounced into the nursery.

"I don't know, but if you don't get ready soon you are going to miss the carpool."

Morgan ignored her expressed concern. "Mom just called! She's coming home today!"

"Really?" Bobbie questioned. The last thing she had heard she wouldn't be leaving until Saturday, Friday night at the earliest.

"She said that her and Jason were taking the next flight out and were going to call when they landed. Can I please stay home so I can go with to pick her up?"

Morgan had been doing great academically and besides the day of the memorial had yet to miss a day of school. "Sure. Does your brother know?"

"I sent him a text message, but he hasn't replied." Morgan explained. The high school started and ended earlier than the elementary.

**********

"Would you be willing to catch me up?" Dante asked Johnny in the office at the coffee shop.

"What did Sonny tell you?" Johnny asked wondering the variation from what Claudia had said to him.

"Just that there was a falling out between him and Mr. Morgan causing Mr. Morgan to leave the organization. That along with some kind of trial coming up occupying Sonny's attention. I don't know about you but this looks like it could raise huge red flags to anyone in the area looking to take over."

"You're not wrong." Johnny replied.

"So, how do we get this case settled quickly and under the radar?" Dante asked.

"Mr. Zacchara, Ms. Miller is here to see you." Milo announced.

Johnny had called her over to get her working on it as soon as possible. "Send her in."

"What kind of mess have you gotten into this time?" Dianne asked as she entered.

"The mess isn't ours." Johnny responded. "It would be my sister's."

"Oh no." Dianne replied. If there was anything worse than defending Carly it was defending Claudia.

"Sometime this evening Claudia is going to be charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder by the district attorney based on allocations that she was the person responsible for hiring Ian Devlin the night Michael was shot."

"With what kind of evidence?" Dianne inquired.

"A witness claiming he was the first person approached about the alleged hit." Johnny was careful to use proper terms when approaching her. "Sonny asked that you be the one to defend her."

"Let me get this straight, there's a witness to the fact that Claudia had Sonny's son shot and Sonny wants me to defend her?"

"Now I get why Jason's not happy." Dante cringed as he got the story.

"Jason must be furious… and Carly, my Lord." Dianne reacted.

"I understand that there is the potential for a conflict of interest, but Jason's not working for the company anymore." Johnny assured her.

"Until documentation is signed Jason does legally own half the shares and holdings." Dianne countered. "As much as I would love to go head on with Alexis in a good criminal trial for my own personal grounds I really don't think I can help you with this one."

"What are you saying? You work for Sonny Corinthos!" Johnny yelled.

"Whoa, calm down." Dante eased Johnny's temper. "Thank you Ms. Miller. Mr. Corinthos should be on his way home shortly. We urge you to please reconsider but we will pass on your hesitance on to Sonny when he checks in."

"I appreciate that Mr. Falconeri." She replied before leaving.

"What did you do that for?" Johnny asked after she left.

"Do you really think that lady is going to respond well to scare tactics? Look, I get that you want your support your sister, but this is not a cut and dry case. It has the potential to split allegiances completely."

"Where does your allegiance stand?" Johnny asked accusatory.

"Don't ask me that. Sonny is my boss, and he's been good to me. But Carly happens to be my mother's best friend and it was her kid that was shot in the head."

"Trust me, I know." Johnny responded sullenly and then confessed. "I don't even know where I stand anymore. I can't turn against my sister, but I can't blame Carly for wanting this either."

"Did you tell my ma about any of this?"

"I mentioned the trial, but I left out the part about the turmoil within the organization."

Dante hoped that Jason would play it smart enough to not alert the neighboring territories and put a target on all of their backs.


	66. Chapter 66

"What did you need to talk about?" Jax asked Olivia. "And please tell me that it has nothing to do with my brother."

"If this is a bad time I'd understand." Olivia responded.

"So this is about Jerry?"

"No. Actually it is hotel related, and then I was going to segway to a more personal matter. Personal for me, not for you."

"I am all ears." Jax motioned her to sit down.

"First, have you heard that Carly's coming in today?"

"Yes, she called me on my way here."

"Okay, then on to business matters. I found the perfect candidate for the trainer in the spa."

"Did we even put that ad out yet?" Jax asked impressed with her ability to take care of the business matters.

"No, we hadn't gotten that far, but she's a graduate student at PCU earning her degree in nutrition and kinesiology, is a certified trainer, and has been working as such for the past four years."

"Sounds perfect. I trust your judgment completely; how do you know her?"

"She's dating my son." Olivia answered.

"Oh." Jax responded. He was the only one thus far Olivia had told about Dante being Sonny's child; Jax had hopes of Dante bringing his father to justice until he switched sides.

"I approached her about the job. She's a sweetheart Jax, and if you just give her a chance..."

"I have no room to judge. Most of my exes were at one point romantically linked to either Jason or Sonny." He admitted. "Schedule an interview early next week."  
"Will do."

"And now the personal matter?"

"I'm thinking about telling Dante that Sonny is his father."

"What?! What brought that on?"

"I've spent the last twenty five years seeing this from a mother's point of view. All I wanted was to protect my little boy, and coincidentally this upcoming trial is a prime example of why." She hadn't heard it from the child's point of view before. With how dangerous Sonny's job was there was always the potential for the loss of life and she couldn't imagine how Dante would respond if he found out after his father's death. Additionally he had already made the conscious decision to put himself in the same line of fire.

"So what changed?" Jax asked.

"What changed is that my little boy isn't a little boy anymore and now sees his father and siblings almost on a daily basis and yet is unable to form that bond with them. The only excuse I have left for not telling him is that I don't want him to hate me." She felt a knot constricting her throat. She knew there was also going to be a backlash from both Sonny and Johnny when it came out.

Jax felt that pang; it was his same excuse for not initially telling Carly about the DVD. "If you are going to tell him my vote is sooner than later.

"You think I should?"

"I didn't say that, but I think your mind is already made up."

**********

"There's my boy!" Carly said scooping Morgan into her arms.

"I missed you so much." Morgan replied. "I'm glad you got to come home early."

"Me too." Carly replied and set her son down.

"So, what did you get me?" Morgan looked to Jason.

Jason's eyes widened. "What makes you think I got you anything?"

"Honey, I think they were a little preoccupied with doctor's appointments." Bobbie cut in.

"Were you?" Morgan asked.

"A little bit." Carly confessed.

"But…" Jason replied. "It didn't stop me from picking this up." He reached into his carry-on. He and Carly both thought Morgan deserved something special for how well he was handling everything.

"A remote control helicopter? Cool!" Morgan exclaimed. "I remember when Michael had one of these but we crashed it into the wall."

"Yeah, well, no flying that in the house." Carly warned.

"Okay, then can we go to the park and check it out?" Morgan pleaded.

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's go home and take Britni off Mercedes' hands, and I can take her for a walk while you and Jason play with the helicopter."

Morgan started dragging Jason towards the car at a fast pace.

"It really is good to see you sweetheart." Bobbie hugged her daughter.

"Thank you so much for everything." She replied holding her mom.

"I didn't really do…"

"Mamma don't even try. You held my entire family together and watched over my daughter when I couldn't."

"Mom, come on!" Morgan urged them to hurry up, and Jason smiled telling him that they would meet at the car.

"When are you going to tell him about the divorce?" Bobbie asked watching Morgan and Jason race ahead.

"What? Did Jax tell you?"

"He didn't have to." Bobbie replied. Based on the knowledge she had and Jax' demeanor lately, along with the glances between her daughter and Jason, Bobbie had ample clues in order to come to the correct conclusion.

"Jax and I were going to sit him and Michael down tonight." Carly answered.

***********

"What do you mean Dianne said no?" Sonny screamed through the telephone.

"She claims it's a conflict of interest and refuses to take the case." Johnny explained. "Dante asked her to reconsider."

"Asked her?" Sonny fired back.

"What were we supposed to do? Threaten her life? Her job? I don't know about you, but for my sister's sake I want someone fully committed to getting her off."

"And who might that be?" Sonny asked.

"I don't know."

Sonny thought about it, but he wasn't sure he liked where his mind was taking him. "Thanks for the update. We should be landing soon." He said before hanging up.

"I hate to ask this again, but now what?" Claudia asked.

"Now we find a lawyer with no scruples."

"No." Claudia responded knowing what her husband was thinking. "No! You don't trust the guy."

"As a person? No, but he is one hell of a lawyer." Sonny replied.

***********

"Delivery for an Alexis Davis." Robert said with a smile on his face. "Hi, little brother."

"Hi yourself." Mac replied. "Where is he? I want him brought directly to the interrogation room."

"Careful with that side there it's still a little sensitive." Robert warned the cops walking Jerry in. Then patted Jerry's injured shoulder causing him to wince as he passed. "Oh right, it was the other one, my bad."

Lucky sat at his desk and laughed.

"You are having way too much fun with that." Mac shook his head.

"I'll let Alexis know he is here." Lucky offered heading to her office.

She was on her way out as she thought she heard Robert's voice. She rushed through the greetings before walking into the interrogation room. She closed the door behind her in the room with just Jerry whose arms were handcuffed behind his back. Caving into her first impulses Alexis slapped Jerry square across the face.

"Nice to see you again, too." He replied.

"I'm sure you know the deal. You agree to testify in court that Claudia hired the hit or you will be charged with Criminal Intent based on your own admission." Alexis responded apathetically.

"What's wrong Alexis, no hi, how are you?" He taunted her. "You look gorgeous today."

"Which do you chose?" She replied.

"I already told my good friend Mr. Scorpio. I'm not saying anything until I talk to my beloved sister-in-law."

"Carly is in a medical facility in South Carolina because of you."

"Then lock me up until she comes back." Jerry responded.

It took everything she had not to slap him again before walking out.

"So?" Mac asked.

"He wants to talk to Carly." She replied.


	67. Chapter 67

"So let him." Carly said walking into the station.

"Carly? What are you doing here so soon?" Alexis asked.

Lucky took the opportunity to approach his cousin with a hug. She looked good, a little thin for just having a child, but good. Jason stood in the background. Following the walk in the park Carly requested going to the station to see Jerry for herself. Both Bobbie and Jason attempted to hold her off and convince her to get some rest, but when she got to a point that she was that determined nothing was going to stop her.

"I came to look that bastard straight in the face to hear exactly what he knows." Carly replied.

"Are you sure you are up for that?" Lucky expressed his concern.

"More than ever." She replied.

"Okay, go ahead, but let us know before he starts talking." Alexis instructed her.

As she walked towards the interrogation room Jason started to follow. She looked back to stop him. "Jase, I need to do this alone."

"Carly…"

She looked at him with an expression of resolve causing him to take a step back. She entered the interrogation room and sat down facing her brother-in-law waiting for him to begin.

"You look good for someone on death's door only a couple weeks back." Jerry said to her.

"It's amazing what a little time can do, and even more so how one misstep along the way can change a life forever." She replied.

"If your speaking about what I think you are, it was quite a bit more than one misstep."

"You're right. We've all made mistakes. What are you going to do about yours?" Carly questioned.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Why does that matter?" She continued the conversation with yet another question.

"I know you won't believe this but I do happen to care what you think."

"If this is about family loyalty I should warn you that Jax and I are getting a divorce."

"I expected that might be coming." Jerry confessed.

"Are you telling me that even knowing that you are willing to testify on my request?" She confirmed.

Jerry nodded, and Carly flagged Mac and Alexis in for his statement. Carly stood in the background refusing to leave as Jerry gave the details of when Claudia approached him, her motivation for the hit, how much she was offering to pay, and the setting in which it should be done. He told them about her plan to broker a treaty with Corinthos to ensure his vulnerability, his hesitance in doing so and getting Ian Devlin involved as the shooter. He then provided them with his conversation with Claudia the night of the shooting at the MetroCourt hotel as she confessed to him that she was there to facilitate her own alibi.

"I want him in 24 hour police protection, this man doesn't go to the bathroom without supervision." Alexis insisted as he completed his statement. Part of her feared him taking off, and the other part feared Zacchara going after him to shut him up before taking the stand.

Carly left the room and Jason followed her out to the parking lot before she fell apart in his arms.

**********

Johnny rode along in the car silently as Max drove the limo bringing Claudia and Sonny back to the Greystone.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Claudia asked her brother.

"I have some work at the shop to do." Johnny replied.

"John, this may be my last night of freedom."

He felt torn; he knew that the hit was made as retaliation after Sonny confined and beat him. She would always look out for him and he knew it, but he also couldn't help feeling like this was the system working like it was supposed to. She was guilty, hell, they all were, but her actions put a boy in a coma. The secret was out, and the fear of Sonny or Jason killing her had finally passed. Maybe a conviction was an appropriate compromise.

"You are my family." She added after waiting for him to reply. "I need your support."

"Do we have a lawyer in place?" Johnny asked indicating that he had her back.

"Yes, he'll be arriving soon." Sonny replied.

"Who?" Johnny inquired.

"You're not going to like it." Claudia added.

That just made Johnny more interested in the answer. "Who?!"

"Ric Lansing." Sonny answered.

"No." Johnny replied. "No, no! Are you kidding? He is part of the reason we're in this mess. He's the one that got the finger pointed at Claudia in the first place!"

"Jerry Jax is the reason we are in this mess, and Ric is a talented litigator. He got you off from murder charges." She brought up his legal problems after taking the fall when Lulu killed Logan Hayes.

"Your testimony got me off from those charges." Johnny clarified.

"But he knew enough to trust me on the stand."

"Have you thought about this?" Johnny turned to Sonny. "Jason is already pissed at you as it is. What is going to happen when he finds out you're bringing in Ric to defend her?"

"John, this, this is a good thing. I mean a trial we can deal with. We can, we can do this." Claudia replied taken back by his reaction.

Max pulled up at the house and opened the door for them to exit.

"Are you coming?" Claudia asked Johnny.

"Come here." Johnny instructed as he embraced his sister. "I love you, and I won't do anything to hurt your case, but I really should get going."

Sonny guided her to the front door noticing the sorrow in her gaze. "He'll come around." He tried encouraging.

"I think you're the only person that's been able to forgive me." She told her husband. She hadn't even gotten to a point where she could forgive herself, and she knew Johnny struggled with the fact that she made him responsible for hurting an innocent child. Claudia was glad that the charges were against her, and John had not been implicated as an accessory.

**********

Johnny felt horrible taking off, but he could not handle being there. He had Max drop him off at the garage although he was lying to his sister about having a lot of work to do. Instead he sat at his desk and let himself brood as he punished himself for the hypocrisy he was feeling inside.

"Hi." A female voice came in shortly after he did. "I don't mean to interrupt anything."

Johnny smirked. "Oh hi Caitlyn. Nothing much, just a healthy dose of self-loathing. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your brooding, but my baby out there could use and oil change. I can take it down the street if you want to continue wallowing."

"Bring her in." He instructed as he pushed the garage door opener. She ran outside quickly to pull in her eight-year-old Chrysler Sebring.

"She's cute." He noticed the impeccable condition of the body.

"Reliable." Caitlyn added. "I've had her as long as I've been driving." She remembered saving up everything she had to finance a new car as soon as she turned sixteen.

Johnny popped the hood to look inside, fiddled with a few things, and concluded that it was well maintained. "Can you hand me that?" He pointed to a canister to empty the old oil into.

She sat on a chair and handed him the canister that was within her arms length. "So besides sitting alone in an empty shop did you have anything planned tonight?"

"I thought that eventually I would end up back at my apartment."

"Not Olivia's?"

"No, she mentioned something about needing to talk to Dante." Johnny explained.

"Oh, I guess Dante wasn't expecting it to take that long. We were going to check out karaoke night later on, but maybe not."

"I'm sorry." Johnny had no idea what it was about, which meant he had no idea what kind of time estimate to give her. "But since I seem to be the bearer of bad news, I guess I could take you." He said reaching under to tighten the knob as the last of the oil dripped out.

"Wow, don't sound so enthused." She replied sarcastically. "Wouldn't want to spoil your night with a little fun."

"You want a little fun?" He challenged her.

"What did you have in mind Johnny Boy?" She giggled.

"Here." He said and wiped oil off his finger onto the tip of her button nose, and then stood up and ran to the tail end of her car.

"Oh real cute!" She stood up and swiped her fingers in the canister standing in the front trying to predict which way he would run. Instead they played the dance of sliding side by side until Caitlyn decided to make a run for it.

She was just out of arms reach when he turned around and grabbed her wrists, and they playfully struggled. "I'm going to kick you?" She pouted.

"What's wrong Caity, not what you had in mind?" He smiled, but noticed her expression go blank. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"My mom used to call me that." She replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He could tell just by her gaze it was a sore subject.

"No, it's okay, really. It's just been awhile." She confessed.

"How long?" He asked releasing his grip.

"About four years, but we really don't have to go there."

He saw her urge to keep the conversation light, and wasn't sure if it was for his sake of her own. "I don't mean to pry, but I'm okay discussing this if you are. I lost my mom, too."

"I don't suppose that has anything to do with the brooding?" She asked turning the focus over to him.

"No, that was a long time ago; this has more to do with my toxic relationship with my sister." He responded. "I love her, but I don't always agree with what she does, and she has this pattern of self-destruction…"

"And you feel like you have to hold her hand and support her through it, but when you try you just find yourself slipping down alongside her. You ask yourself if it's worth it for you…" She added knowing exactly where he was going with it.

"And feel guilty when you realize it's not." He finished and then added. "But she's all I have."

"I've learned that for your own sanity it's okay to be selfish. In the long run, all you really have is yourself." She replied.

"You've never had a sibling, have you?" Johnny inquired. He understood what she was saying it was just a little more complicated than that.

"Nope, at this point just me, myself, and I."

"Well, Dante may have something to say about that, but should we go to the bar?" He asked as he made his way to the sink to wash away the mess he had made.


	68. Chapter 68

When Johnny and Caitlyn arrived at Jake's the singing had just started with a rousing duet from Patrick and Robin Drake. The audience was laughing and clapping and barely anyone had noticed their entrance. Johnny scanned the bar for a safe place to sit. With the universal knowledge of Claudia's involvement he wasn't sure if the people he thought were his friends would see it that way. Front and center of the stage sat Ethan, Lulu, Matt, Nikolas, and Elizabeth and the table over sat Spinelli and Maxie. Spinelli looked up to see Johnny and waved him over. He and Spinelli had worked through a lot following his and Lulu's break up, and got to a point where they liked and respected each other as friend's and co-workers.

"Who's your friend?" Maxie asked as the song concluded.

Caitlyn introduced herself feeling a little awkward. There was an autonomic assumption that they came together, and she wasn't sure if that was what was fueling the venom from the blonde at the next table. "We're just friends." She insisted.

"Hey, I'm not judging." Maxie replied. "What does or does not happen between Johnny and Olivia is none of my business. It's really none of Lulu's business either, but that might have more to do with her ex boyfriend's sister being responsible for her cousin being shot."

Caitlyn looked over to Johnny for the clarification. Maxie had a knack for saying too much. He gave her a look indicating what she had just heard was true which explained their previous conversation immensely. He wasn't kidding when he said that relationship was toxic.

"Anyone else?" Coleman approached the table as Patrick and Robin sat down. Maxie looked over to Caitlyn.

"Um…no, not without a little liquid encouragement." She replied.

"What's your poison, cutie?" Coleman asked.

"Do you have Disaronno?" She asked, and he nodded. "I'll take some of that with sprite."

"Sounds good, I'll take the same." Johnny spoke up.

"Put those on my tab." Elizabeth yelled out and then approached Caitlyn.

"How's Cam doing?" Caitlyn asked.

"Great. He won't stop talking about his new girlfriend. Apparently you have a great arm even for a girl." She smirked. As Coleman sat down the drinks she added. "Consider these thanks for the other day."

Introductions went around the table. It seemed to Johnny that whatever tensions that had been brought out by his last encounter at the bar appeared to be clear at least for the evening. A large man approached the stage next to sing an old ballad from Meatloaf.

***********

"Are you just going to stand there? Or do you plan on giving your mother a hug?" Carly asked her seventeen-year-old who appeared shocked to see her.

Michael walked over to give her an embrace. He knew that he missed her, but wasn't sure how much until he saw her. He held tight for almost five minutes letting Carly comb through the hairs on the back of his head much like she did when he was young.

After releasing his grip and pulling back she looked to him with a serious expression. "Hey boys, we need to talk."

"Oh no, that's never good." Morgan joked, but Michael sat down on the couch next to him sharing the sentiment. On the chairs to either side of the couch both Carly and Jax took a seat. The room felt tense as the parents looked to each other to determine who would start.

"Okay, tell us the truth, mom. Are you still sick? Is that why you came home early?" Michael asked and his brother appeared to get agitated.

"No." She adamantly denied. "I came home early because there was too much here I needed to deal with, and the doctor's approved me to go because my recent test results have been outstanding."

Morgan sighed and crawled onto Carly's lap.

"So, then what is this about?" Michael asked feeling like he could handle anything else.

"Jax and I are getting a divorce." Carly announced.

"Why?" Morgan looked up at her. Out of the two boys Morgan had forged a much deeper bond with his stepfather than Michael had. "Don't you love each other?"

"We do." Jax answered. "There's just more to a relationship than that."

"Like what?" Morgan questioned again.

"Trust." Carly took her turn in responded.

"This is about the shooting." Michael added.

Both Carly and Jax nodded.

"Morgan, honey, I think there's something you need to know." Carly said seriously. She knew that with the trial approaching Morgan was going to hear about everything, and she didn't want it coming out to him at school. "Claudia was the person responsible for the shooting that had put Michael in a coma."

"What?" The boy responded. He knew there was something about her that he didn't trust, but he never assumed it was that. "No, dad wouldn't marry her…"

"Your father didn't know it was her when they got married." Carly replied.

"What does this have to do with the divorce?" Michael asked bringing it back into focus.

"Are dad and Claudia getting divorced?" Morgan asked.

"I knew things about the shooting that I should have told your mother." Jax explained.

"But she wasn't supposed to be upset. You told us that; it was our job to protect her." Morgan added.

"I should have told her when I found out, and that was before she was sick." Jax continued.

"It's never good to keep secrets, honey, they end up hurting people even more, and we're both going to be taking care of all three of you it's just that Jax won't be living here." Carly wiped a tear from Morgan's eye.

"I'm going to go back to the penthouse, but I promise we're still going to have our time together, and your mother and I will trade off who picks you up from school." Jax attempted to reassure Morgan.

"Are you going to be here for Christmas?" Morgan asked his stepfather.

Jax smiled. "I wouldn't miss your little sister's first Christmas for the world."

"Maybe Jax can tuck you before he leaves." Carly suggested. Jax had already brought a cleaner into the penthouse and bagged up a few essentials in a suitcase to take over. Morgan gave his mom a big hug before he followed Jax up to his room.

"He's going to be okay." Michael assured her. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm positive." She replied. "But it would help if I knew…"

"I'm moving in tomorrow." Michael read what she was going to ask. He hadn't told her that was the plan before laying it on the Quartermaine's and retaining help from the Spencer's. "And if you're okay with it, I'd like to stay tonight."

Carly smiled; that was exactly what she wanted.

***********

"If you two are just friends, does that make you available?" Ethan approached Caitlyn.

"Smooth." Lulu teased. It seemed like she was warming up a little more as the evening progressed and the drinks filled.

"I thought I heard that she was taken by Cameron." Nikolas added causing both Liz and Lulu to laugh.

"I will admit that little Cam has stolen a piece of my heart." Caitlyn smiled.

"Do you think he would be heart broken if I took you out tomorrow night?"

"Probably not." She confessed. "Dante might be a little miffed though."

Ethan looked stunned. He checked Johnny's expression to confirm her story and drudged back to his chair.

"Ouch!" Spinelli spoke up having his own harsh history of rejection.

"Have you had enough liquid encouragement yet?" Maxie asked ignoring the rest of the conversation as she thumbed through the list of songs.

"What did you have in mind?" Caitlyn stood up to read over her shoulder.

"I'm thinking that one or that one." Maxie pointed out on the page.

"How about that one." Caitlyn suggested. "But the rest of the girls have to join in."

"I'm out." Robin backed off. "I've already made a fool of myself tonight."

"Actually I think my brother was the one making himself a fool." Matt teased by gesturing some of Patrick's 70s - 80s dance moves.

"Hey, I'll have you know those are some of Eli Love's signature moves." Patrick defended himself. "And all the lady's swoon over him."

Robin bit her lips attempting to keep herself from breaking out in laughter. Eli Love was indeed a heartthrob for women her mother's age.

"Oh yeah, we're swooning alright." Lulu joked.

"Okay, you all suck." Patrick announced and Robin gave him a peck on the cheek.

Elizabeth got up to see the song choice and waved Lulu over to join them. Neither Liz nor Maxie were sure when they got to the point of being amicable but Liz figured if she could forgive Sam she could handle giving Maxie another chance. Maxie rushed to let Coleman know as the others took the stage.

"Hi." Maxie started. Lulu echoed "hi." Maxie continued "We're your weather girls."  
Lulu added. "And have we got news for you."  
Maxie carried on with her solo, "Get ready all you lonely girls and leave those umbrellas at

home."

All the girls joined in. "Humidity is rising; Barometer's getting low. According to all sources;

The street's the place to go."

Maxie then handed her microphone over to Caitlyn. "'Cause tonight for the first time; just about half past 10. For the first time in history; It's gonna start raining men." She belted.

"It's raining men, Hallelujah; It's raining men, Amen." The group sung.

"I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna let myself get absolutely soaking wet." Liz belted as the rest of

the group gyrated behind her.  
The group dance and sang together for the chorus. "It's raining men, Hallelujah; It's raining men, every specimen. Tall, blond, dark and lean; Rough and tough and strong and mean." They continued by making there way through the audience encouraging the audience to clap and sing along as they smiled and attempted to dance seductively to disco music.

***********

Lucky begged Mac to let him be the one to detain Claudia. The commissioner decided that as a reward for everything Spencer had gone through to deliver the evidence it was the least he could give him. Detective Spencer and Cruz drive to the mansion where Claudia was residing. Sonny had called Alexis after dinner to confirm their whereabouts. Apparently the Corinthos clan was willing to take this one by the book which alarmed both cops.

Sonny held his wife who sat anxiously on the couch. She tried telling him that they were better off going to the police station to turn herself over, but Sonny didn't want to provide anymore ammunition the prosecution could use of her guilt. The knock on the door startled both even though they knew it was coming. Max Giambetti opened the door and guided the officers to the den where Lucky flashed his badge.

"Claudia Corinthos you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Sonny Corinthos." Lucky started.

"Lucky, you do realize how ridiculous that claim is." Sonny interrupted.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. Were you unable to provide your own counsel one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

"I understand." Claudia stood up.

Cruz walked over to pull his handcuffs out.

"Is this necessary?" Claudia asked. "I will go freely."

"It's procedure ma'am." Cruz replied.

"Fine." She conceded and put her hands behind her back.

"I'll be right there." Sonny assured her as he watched the PCPD walk her out of the house. After the door shut Sonny looked to Max. "Have you talked to Milo?"

"He is at the airport as we speak." Max confirmed. "Boss, are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"Are you questioning me, Max?"

"No sir, well… yes. Mr. Morgan and Mrs. C… I mean J are not going to appreciate this at all, and I can't say I blame them."

"I am only going to ask you this once, who are you loyal to?" Sonny asked with intensity.

Max knew that it wasn't a question. "You sir, but I have watched over the young sir for most of his life, and it pains me to see his parents torn apart over this."

"Bring the car around." Sonny commanded. Sometime in the past several years the tightly knit bond that held between him and Jason had been severely threatened, and it seemed that it all came down to Carly. Jason refused to let her fall, and he had destroyed plenty of relationships in order to keep that promise. This time he couldn't blame Jason for hating him, but he needed that same partnership; the unrelenting, undying, self sacrificing bond. He was sure that Claudia was capable of it, but in order to receive it he needed to show her the same.

**********

"Very nice." Johnny smiled as they girls returned from the stage.

"Thank you." Maxie smirked.

"What are you going to sing for us?" Caitlyn asked.

"No, I don't think so." Johnny responded.

"If the Dark Prince would like the Jackal would support his musical stylings by providing with any needed vocal back-up." Spinelli offered.

"No, that's okay, but I believe we would all be thrilled to see you perform." Johnny countered.

"I think it would be a great idea if the guys did a song." Elizabeth added.

"The Port Charles boy band?" Nikolas questioned. "I'm thinking, big no."

"Oh, come on?" Caitlyn laughed and then gestured as she jokingly sang. "Bye, bye, bye… Don't really wanna make it tough; I just wanna tell you that I've had enough…"

The table busted out in laughter.

Patrick nudged his brother. "I gave you the chance to laugh at me; it's your turn to show us what you are made of."

"I will if Zacchara does." Matt challenged.

"What's wrong Johnny you are perfectly fine playing piano in a crowded room, but you can't handle a song with the boys?" Lulu teased.

Caitlyn flashed her emerald eyes in his direction.

"No." He told Caitlyn. "You have had much more alcohol than I have before you went up there, and someone needs to drive your baby home safely."

"I suppose. Sapphy doesn't like it when you get behind the wheel drunk."

"Sapphy?" Ethan asked.

"You named your car Sapphy?" Johnny added.

"Sapphire." She clarified.

"As in the stone?" Nikolas inquired.

"As in her color." Caitlyn replied.

The guys looked dumbfounded.

"You mean blue?" Matt asked. All the girls nodded. "Why is it that girls have 50 names for the same color?"

"It's not the same color!" Maxie replied adamantly. "You have the dark blues like navy or midnight or light such as baby or powder…"

"There is electric or Egyptian." Lulu added.

"Robin's egg and indigo." Robin listed a couple more.

"And then you have the green blues or the grey blues like teal or cerulean." Elizabeth explained.

"And Periwinkle." Spinelli added causing the guys to all stare at him.

"Wrong team." Nikolas patted his shoulder.

"Oh, although I have found it much to my own benefit to side strictly with the fair Maximista." Spinelli defended himself.

"And let's face it; he probably is getting laid tonight." Robin smiled in Nikolas' direction. Nikolas hadn't really looked at a girl since Emily died. He did try a relationship with a nurse, but it ended badly after realizing he could never love her.

Ethan sat listening with the list of songs in front of him. "Alright, if you blokes are man enough for it let's keep to the spirit of this discussion and serenade these princesses with a little 'Blue Moon.'"

"No way." Nikolas opted out. Even the threat of manhood wasn't going to sway the prince.

"Zacchara?" Matt asked.

Caitlyn started pulling on his arm.

"Fine." He conceded. Ethan, Matt, Johnny, and Spinelli took the stage. For being so opposed Caitlyn thought Johnny did an amazing job. Spinelli was good, Matt was okay, and nobody was sure what key Ethan tried singing in.

***********

"I appreciate dinner, but have a feeling that isn't what this visit is about." Dante said after cleaning the dessert plate. Olivia had asked him over for one-on-one time which hadn't been requested in a while.

"Are you in a hurry?" She asked noticing him checking his watch.

"No, not if this is important."

Olivia wasn't sure is she knew his meaning of important. If it meant huge and life-changing then yes. If he meant that it had to be done now probably not. She had already waited 25 years what was a couple more days/weeks, although by that point she would probably find a way to talk herself out of it again.

Noticing the decision making process that was going through her mind Dante sat on the couch and responded. "I'm all yours."

"Well, not all…" She decided to start.

"Okay, I'll bite. What is that supposed to mean?"

"Dante, I lied, a lot."

"About?"

"About knowing who your father was." She answered.

"So you do have an idea?" Dante replied figuring that she at least had to be able to narrow down the options.

"No, it's not an idea. I know. I've always known. When I got pregnant I had an inherent need to protect you and I told myself that it was best that you never knew. For most of your life it was easy. You had your uncles and cousins and you were happy. When you joined the academy I was so proud, I couldn't have asked for more."

"Who is it?" Dante asked subsiding the explanation. "Is it someone I know?"

"Last night Caitlyn told me that her mother kept the truth from her until it was too late for her to form any bond with that piece of her, and I can't help but think that if the situation was different, if he hadn't looked up to see the scope you would be experiencing the same thing."

"Ma, what are you talking about? If who wouldn't have looked up?" Dante questioned. The only thing that crossed his mind was Michael's confession that his dad saw the riffle and pushed Kate, or Connie, out of the way, and then it dawned on him what his mother was telling him. "No!"

"We were young, and he was my first, my only at that time."

"Sonny Corinthos?" He let it sink in. "Sonny Corinthos is my father?!"

He just had to look at her to get his answer.

"And when I came in to town to bust the guy, you didn't think that was a good time to tell me?"

"I tried to convince you against it, to get out of town and leave it alone."

"So that was what that was about? Not about your son's life but sparing your first love, crush, what?!"

"No, it was very much about your life. The life you wanted for yourself, about not following down your father's path."

Dante chucked at the irony. His mother tried so hard to keep him from the life he found himself pulled in to. "So why now? Why not tell me when I told you that I lost my badge? Why didn't you say something when my cover was blown and Jason Morgan was on my doorstep with a gun pointed at my head?"

"I went to Sonny to plead your case to him. I would have told him anything to save you." She confessed, but Sonny didn't need that. Knowing he was Olivia's kid was enough, and knowing that he refused to give him up granted enough favor to allow him his position in the company.

He didn't know what else to say. His mind was racing between wishing his mother would have told him a long time ago to wishing to have never known; especially now. There was no doubt that being related to Sonny Corinthos just got a lot more dangerous.

"I'm sorry, Dante. I'm sorry about the time you lost with your father and siblings. I know how much you care about Morgan and Kristina. I knew that Sonny was trouble. Even back then I saw the path he was taking." Olivia watched his expression as it appeared vacant. "Please, say something?"

He shook his head. He couldn't believe that he bought all the lies, and that it hadn't dawned on his that Morgan could actually be his little brother.

"If you want, I can be the one to tell Sonny."

"No!" Dante shouted out.

She looked confused figuring the confession would change the way he related to his family.

"You do realize that if this information goes public; that is competing regimes find out now that I am the heir of the Corinthos territories, you might as well paint a fluorescent target right on my chest!" He explained angrily.

"Why now?" She asked narrowing in on that point of the explanation.

Dante hesitated as he reminded himself as to why Johnny didn't want Olivia to know about the growing threat. "I guess you're going to find out soon enough. Sonny's main enforcer walked out."

"Jason quit?" She questioned not thinking that was an option within that business. "Why?"

"Because my dear old dad is siding with the woman responsible getting my… brother?... shot." He said sarcastically.

"He's what?!" She yelled suddenly regretting any instance where she may have defended him as being a decent human being.

"With Jason gone and Sonny distracted any rival could jump at the opportunity to make a statement and your little secret could make that all the more sweeter."

"Dante, I am so sor…"

"Don't you dare say that you are sorry." He interrupted. "You know, you were right all along, it doesn't matter where the sperm came from. Thanks for the update, but there's somewhere I should really be tonight."

"Please don't hate me…" She begged as he walked through the door. He glances back to see the tears welled up under her eyes and shut the door behind him.

**********

Dante found himself wandering around Port Charles in the freezing cold wearing a light leather jacket. He thought about his childhood; about what he had and what he wanted. He recalled the baseball games that he played in and watching his teammates father's cheering their son's on. He always wondered who that man was that contributed to his gene pool, why he wasn't a part of his life, what he was like, and if he would be proud of the man he had become.

He remembered the legacy that was Sonny Corinthos; the poor kid that grew up from Benson Hurst and became one of the richest and most powerful men on the East coast. Dante hated that the other kids looked up to him. He made his money on the blood of fallen officer's; on the blood of those who believed in honor and justice. Somehow that same charisma that charmed his mother into being her first and probably only real love convinced him to completely change the direction his future was taking. Perhaps that was the real danger his mother had feared.

"Dante?" Caitlyn just about ran into him outside her building. "Where are you headed?"

He shrugged his shoulders but she picked up on the fact that he was shivering.

"Why don't you come inside." She suggested.

Dante followed her to her door silently. When inside she flipped on the switch causing both to squint readjusting to the light.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to take you out tonight." He finally said.

"I take it from your expression that she told you." Caitlyn responded.

"I don't want to…"

"Okay." She replied.

She walked over to where he was standing and pulled off the freezing leather and wrapped her arms around him. He leaned in to kiss her; which she complied. He didn't want to think anymore. He had enough, and no amount of contemplation was going to change the facts; his mother spent his life lying to him, his father was a career criminal, and unknowingly he had fallen in the man's footsteps. He followed her to the couch unable to break away reeling from the truth. The more he felt himself loathing himself the more passionately he pressed himself into her, sinking his fingertips into the flesh of her back. He started to undress her when she pulled away.

She looked into his amber eyes and saw the pain and anger he was experiencing. "No, not like this."


	69. Chapter 69

"Jason, hi, come in." Michael greeted him.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Jason asked surprised to see him, but greeted him with a hug.

"I wanted to make sure Morgan got to school okay." Michael explained. "Mom had Britni duty last night. She asked me to wake her up in time to send off Morgan, but she looked really tired."

"Where's Bobbie?"

"She had an overnight at the hospital, and Mercedes had a shift over at the Drake's."

"I appreciate you taking care of your mom, but if you need to get going I can take over from here." Jason replied.

"There actually is something I wanted to talk to you about." Michael confessed as both gentlemen sat down on the couch. "And I need you to be honest with me."

"I'll do my best." Jason tried to avoid deceiving him.

"She lied about her need to go to the clinic, didn't she?"

Jason stared blankly at him.

"How do I believe her now when she says she's okay?" He continued.

"How did you know she was lying?" Jason pressed.

"You're going to think I'm crazy." Michael responded.

Jason audibly chuckled. "Trust me, I won't." He replied thinking back to his own twisted connection to Carly.

"I could feel it, something was off. I guess I can't explain how, but…"

"Michael, there is nothing crazy about a strong bond between a mother and son, but to answer your question, what do you feel now?"

He knew that answer. She was tired and stressed, but physically she had recovered.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Michael inquired.

"Can I answer that?" Carly asked walking down the stairs.

"Oh, mom." Michael was startled. "I got Morgan off to school, and Britni has been laid down for her nap."

"Thank you." She said greeting him with a hug as she approached. The previous night she had told her boys that her marriage was ending because of lies told, and she knew how hypocritical that was considering the one she had told to her entire family.

"How much did you hear?" Michael asked.

"Enough to know that you have questions, and I appreciate that you waited for Morgan to be away before you asked them." Carly answered honestly. "Your brother hasn't been able to catch a break for about two years now. First when you ran off, and then the docks exploded and I lost the baby. Shortly after you were shot and in a coma for a year, and a couple of weeks before you woke up he found out about my pregnancy and condition. This Thanksgiving when I almost…" She struggled saying the words.

"Morgan had a complete meltdown, I know." Michael finished. "How bad was it?"

"Internal bleeding. The medication they gave me after surgery to thin my blood in order to reduce the risk of farther clotting was causing bleeding close to the site of the surgery. They had to take me off that medication in order to prevent too much blood loss which could have been fatal."

"But then they still needed to find the right medication to prevent a future stroke." Michael understood. "That's what they were doing at the clinic?"

Carly nodded. "I didn't want your brother to worry, actually I didn't want either of you to worry, and if I told everyone else I figured you would be able to pick up on that."

"Mom, I promise not to get mad as long as your honest about one more thing."

"What's that?" She asked. She could tell that somehow her son had found a way to detect every lie.

"The day after the accident when I called to talk to you…"

"I was in the hospital due to extreme dehydration and low blood sugar." She confessed.

He took a few deep breaths knowing that something was wrong, but he swore to live up to his side of the deal. "But everything is okay now?"

"As soon as Mercedes gets here Jason was going to take me to General Hospital for my final blood test and results. If you want to come with you can." Carly figured after the breach of trust this might be the only way for him to actually believe her.

"I'd like that." He responded and held his mother again.

***********

Caitlyn laid in bed cuddled up next to Dante. It had been a long time since she felt that close to someone, and was glad that he hadn't taken offense when she turned him down. Instead she suggested watching a movie in her bedroom that they both ended up falling asleep to.

"Good morning." She smiled as he started to stir.

"You're not getting up already?" He said pulling on her arm as she began to sit up.

She looked at the clock having already skipped her morning run. "I have to go to school."

"Ditch." He smirked hoping to be a bad influence on her for the day.

The thought had crossed her mind as she was snuggled with him. "Does that mean you are taking the day off too?"

"I would be useless at work today anyway." He admitted. Until he had the time to truly process the news that his boss was actually his father Dante figured it best to stay away.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"How much did my ma tell you?" He asking knowing the 'girl talk' from the other night at least had something to do with the subject of his paternity.

"Not much. She indicated that she knew who it was but couldn't tell you to protect you."

"And so you divulged your story?"

"If I stepped over some boundaries, I'm sorry." She countered.

"No, it's not that. Why didn't you tell me first?" Dante asked.

She did not answer, not sure of how much his mom may have told him.

"Your dad is dead?" He clarified.

"Yes, but from what my mom told me he might had well have been all along because he never wanted me." She responded. "What about yours? Could he make dad of the year if given a chance?"

Dante laughed. "I don't think so."

"So you agree with your mother's decision to protect you?"

"I honestly don't have a clue what I believe or feel. What would you do if you found out Sonny Corinthos was your dad?"

Caitlyn was unaware of her jaw dropping as he dropped the bomb. She was speechless; there wasn't an 'oh my God' that could express it.

"The guy already has three kids who he barely sees because the mother of two of them found out a little too late that as much as he would like to think he can protect the people he loves, he can't."

She knew how much it would mean to him to be able to tell Michael, Morgan, and Kristina that he actually was their big brother, but from the sadness in his eyes she could tell that was not an option. "What now? Does life go on as normal as if the secret was never told?"

"For the time being, yeah. It's the safest thing for everybody." He said, and then continued to explain the situation as she relaxed next to him making the decision to take a personal day of her own.

**********

"Hi princess." Robert said walking through the door of his daughter's house. He had approached as Mercedes was dashing out.

"Dad?!" She replied setting Emma down to rush into his arms. "When did you get back in town?"

After making his delivery at the PCPD Robert followed the squad car to the MetroCourt where Jax had sectioned off the ninth floor to keep Jerry contained under police supervision. Unable to trust anybody else Robert took it upon himself to stay close as an extra pair of eyes.

"I came in yesterday." Robert admitted. "But couldn't wait any longer to see my daughter and precious grandbaby." He shuttered.

Emma approached the adults hiding behind her mother's legs.

"Emma, you remember him." Robin prodded. She had pictures of Anna and Robert in Emma's room and made sure they included them in their prayers every night.

"Perhaps I did stay away a tad too long." Robert commented.

"She gets like this after just waking up." Robin explained her shyness. "Emma, this is your papi."

"Papi!" Emma finally started to peek around.

"That's my girl." Robert bent down to her level and reach out his arms.

"How long are you here for?" Robin asked as she watched her dad steal Emma's nose away.

"Oh, hopefully long enough to get this little one running straight into my arms when I enter the room." He replied as she reached to grab her 'nose' back from him. "At least through the holiday."  
Robert then stood up and ran around the couch as Emma chased behind in her sweetest little giggle.

"Where's the husband?" Robert asked almost jumping over the couch.

"Dad, don't!" Robin stopped him as it appeared Emma was going to try the same. "He's at the hospital working. I was just going to bring Emma to daycare on my way in unless you want to look after her today."

"I'd love that!" He said plopping the child on his lap allowing her to reach for his hand and grab her appendage back.

"Okay, you two have fun… but not too much." Robin warned and gave both her father and daughter a kiss before leaving. "You know where to find everything, right?"

"Sure I do." Robert grinned.

"Have me paged if you need anything." She said before shutting the door.

***********

"How bad is it?" Claudia asked sitting in the interrogation room across from her lawyer as Sonny stood to the side.

"Can I just go on the record saying I never imagined I would receive that call?" Ric gloated in both of their presence.

"Can you help us or not?" Sonny asked directly.

"All right, skipping right through the pleasantries and going straight to business. I was able to do some research on the flight over here, unfortunately in the state of New York sentencing in Conspiracy can be just as severe as if you had actually gone through with the crime yourself." Ric explained.

"Meaning what?" Claudia asked.

"Meaning that if you are found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Murder you will be sentenced as you would had you committed murder, which carries 25 to life in lock-up." Ric continued.

"Okay, but nobody was murdered." Sonny countered.

"It doesn't matter. Criminal intent is a dangerous thing." Ric replied. "The charges stand as Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Reckless Endangerment. I can try to talk Alexis into pleading down to the Reckless Endangerment which would be a gross misdemeanor and looking at approximately eleven months incarcerated with following probation."

"Alexis is looking for blood." Claudia scoffed.

"As far as I can tell she's banking a lot on Jerry's testimony. If we go to trial those jurors are going to hear a sad story about a little boy that lost a year of his life."

"I can show remorse…" Claudia cut in.

"No." Ric redirected. "This trial is not about who got little Michael Corinthos shot, it's whether or not you put a hit out on Sonny Corinthos. The only way out is spinning the story around and get the jury to believe that Jerry had the same motive and opportunity to arrange that hit."

"Thus negating his entire testimony." Sonny smiled at his brothers ingenious.

"What I need to know from you is if there is _anyone_ else who you have told about your involvement?" Ric asked Claudia.

"John, but he's already told me that he won't say anything to hurt my case. Sonny…"

"And as her husband I can't be called upon to testify against her." Sonny added.

"Michael." She added.

"What?!" Ric felt his case losing ground.

"Michael found out about the DVD and approached John about it. He is the one that asked Sonny to let it go. Michael forgave me." Claudia explained.

"How warm and fuzzy." Ric responded sarcastically. "Do we know anyone that could convince Carly to keep Michael out of this for the sake of not choosing sides over his parents?"

"Let's first see if you can convince Alexis to pleading down to the misdemeanor." Sonny responded. "If that doesn't work I can see about talking to Michael and Carly."

"Are you going to be okay with that?" Ric asked his client.

"Because of me Michael lost a year of his life, it seems only fitting." Claudia responded.


	70. Chapter 70

**Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming, I'm trying to include feedback while keeping to the story… I've actually been adding some stuff in for the Clauson fans. I really am debating just calling this the never-ending story. I keep coming up with more. Stay tuned!! **

"Thanks for being so patient." Patrick said coming into the office where Carly, Jason, and Michael awaited the results.

"Did we have a choice?" Carly smiled.

Patrick snickered. "Glad to see you're back in full force. I suppose no, you didn't really have a choice, but Epiphany probably appreciates the mellow approach."

"So?" Michael asked feeling his impatience grow.

"The results are the same as they have been." Patrick responded. "Everything looks good."

"And she didn't pay you to say that?" Michael asked relieved to hear it from a doctor.

"Michael!" Carly objected.

"I can show you the lab report, but it probably won't mean anything to you." Patrick added.

"I was kidding." Michael defended himself.

"Is that it?" Jason asked hoping it was finally over.

"Besides daily medication and quarterly check-ups, yes." Patrick answered. "But Carly, you still have this condition. It's managed, but not cured and the likelihood of having a stroke increases after having a first."

"I understand." She responded. "I'll be a good girl and take my meds and try to avoid high stress situations."

Jason rolled his eyes at the word 'try', but it was the most any of them could hope for, and her family didn't have to be as careful around her as they were during the pregnancy.

"Sounds good, now go home and spend some time with that precious baby girl." Patrick commanded. "Doctor's orders."

Carly held Jason's hand as they left the hospital. They let Michael lead them out hoping to avoid suspicion.

"Are we dropping you off at school?" Jason asked as they reached his truck.

"For the last two periods of the day?" Michael countered. "But if you two want some time alone you can drop me off at the Quartermaine's. I still have packing to do."

"Whoa, what?" Carly reacted.

"Oh come on, it's pretty obvious." Michael responded.

"You're okay with it?" Jason asked confirming Michael's observation.

"Sure, why not? I mean if there is anyone I trust not to hurt her it's you. Just as long as you both give Morgan the opportunity to get used to Jax being away first."

"That was the idea. And no, this isn't the reason for the divorce." Carly said feeling the need to clarify.

"I know." He responded. "Like you said, a relationship is built on both love and trust. This actually makes sense."

"What about you? How is it going with Alyssa?" Carly asked. "Do I get to meet her soon?"

"Do you think you could ask him one question at a time?" Jason teased.

"Things with Alyssa are going well. The only thing that would make it better is if she could be honest with her parents about dating me."

"Did you tell her that you barely see your father? If you want I can talk to them for you?" Carly offered.

"Please don't." Michael begged. "She said she might be able to help out with the move tonight."

"That would be great." Carly smiled feeling like she was the last person to meet her son's girlfriend.

"Just don't embarrass me, please?" Michael said opening the door as Jason stopped in front of the mansion. He glanced back at his mom who feigned looking wounded before he shook his head and walked off.

***********

"Dammit!!" Olivia said throwing papers around in her office.

"Is this a bad time?" Johnny poked his head in.

"Only if you need me to accomplish anything." She sighed.

"I'm going to assume that last night didn't go so well." Johnny observed, not that he had any clue what it was about.

"What did Dante tell you?" She asked giving up finding anything to sit down in her chair instead.

"Nothing, he didn't come in today. Would you like to talk about it?" He asked trying to read her expression. "Or would you rather I help you find something?"

Olivia shook her head trying to fight off the tears she was feeling. "I think my son hates me, and I can't say I blame him."

"I sincerely doubt that he hates you. I've seen the way you and Dante interact and he thinks the world of his ma."

"He did." She emphasized the past tense.

"What could you have possibly done to change that?" Johnny asked approaching her with a shoulder message.

"What are you doing here?" She asked demonstrating the Falconeri trait of changing the subject as soon as someone got too close to gaining unwanted information. "Not that I mind this."

"I had a short break, and since I missed seeing you last night I thought I was stop by. Why? Do I need an excuse?"

"No, not as long as you keep rubbing my shoulders." It was nice to get a relief from the tension she was holding on to.

"Are you going to tell me what happened with Dante?" He asked hoping there was something he could do to help.

"I can't. Apparently it's safest for everybody if I keep my mouth shut. Which reminds me, when were you going to tell me about the friction between Sonny and Jason?"

Johnny laughed. "I thought you might be able to figure it out when you saw them sitting on opposite sides of the courtroom while Jason gave Sonny his legendary death glare."

"Really? I would think that he'd be too busy holding Carly back from ripping Claudia's hair out with her bare hands." Olivia only half joked. "I am sorry that you have to go through this."

"Yeah, well, there are worse things than a trial." Johnny replied, again relieved that Jason wasn't taking it upon himself to exact revenge. "But I suppose I should reinforce the fact that it does make business more dangerous for everyone."

"I can handle that, as long as this isn't some brush off speech. I could use someone in my corner right now." She admitted.

"Nah, no brush off, I might actually need to stick around more just to personally make sure you are taken care of." He said nibbling on her neck.

"Ms. Falconeri." Marty said knocking on her door. "Do you have those papers?"

"Yeah, just a minute." She yelled out then addressed Johnny. "Thank you, but…"

"You should get back to work." He finished her thought as she rummaged through her pile.

"Hey look, I found it." She smiled. "I should keep you around more often."

**********

"Hi brother." Jax greeted coldly as the armed guard let him enter Jerry's room.

"Last time we spoke you made yourself very clear that you never wanted to see me again." Jerry replied. "Now you're having me cooped up in your hotel?"

"Yeah well, last time we spoke I was under the impression that I would soon be a widower, but if Carly wants you to take the stand I'm going to make damn sure that you don't disappoint."

"That's a lot of loyalty to the woman that's looking to divorce you." Jerry rebutted.

"No thanks to you."

"What is this really about little brother? I've already given my statement; you've made sure I can't go anywhere until I testify. Is this another talk about how disappointed you are in me? Or how I've messed up your life once again? 'Cause excuse me is I'm not really in the mood for it."

"I'm just wondering what your angle is? I know full well that if you didn't want to be caught you wouldn't have been, and if you really wanted to escape here, you would have." Jax explained.

"Civic duty?" Jerry smirked.

"I don't buy that for a second. Don't think that this will somehow gain you Carly's trust or get you any closer to my daughter. You're not deceiving anyone. She's not going to look past the fact that you meant to have her cousin killed."

"That's one hell of a pep talk. I'm all ready to take the stand now." He sneered sarcastically.

"If you're going to cower away from this and shrink past your responsibility like you always do, tell me now."

"I'm not leaving until I'm finished with exactly what I came here to do."

"What does that mean?" Jax asked. Something about his comment left him with a sour taste in his mouth.

Jerry grinned. "Just righting a wrong."

***********

Alexis snickered as she saw her ex enter her office. "Wow, Claudia must be desperate if she's dragging you in to defend her."

"Good to see you too." Ric gave his annoyingly egotistical grin. "Do you mind if I drop by tonight to bring my daughter out to dinner?"

"Not at all, I'm sure Molly would love that." Alexis responded. "I am right though, you are here on Mrs. Corinthos' behalf."

"I am, and I hope we can solve this as painlessly as possible. The last thing this department needs is another notch in the loss column against organized crime."

"And how are you planning on helping us out?" She said offering him a seat.

"By offering to settle." Ric answered. "You drop the charges down to Reckless Endangerment, and the mob queen herself stays in lock up for a year."

"Why on earth would I agree to that?"

"Because your alternative is trusting a madman that has tried to kill your daughter on multiple occasions." Ric reminded her. "Forget the deal you made with Jerry, Claudia will plead down and you can use what you have to put Jerry in lock up as well."

"One year?"

"That's what she took from Michael." Ric argued.

"And if it was Kristina or Molly in that warehouse, would that be enough?" Alexis asked knowing that Kristina had been like a daughter to him.

"So instead you're going to let Jerry go?" Ric felt it was his only ammunition.

"He'll disappear again once he's done, and if not we'll catch him on the next charge." She responded sounding sure of herself.

"And what if someone else get's hurt while your waiting to form your next case against him?" Ric countered. "I haven't been gone so long to not notice the unhealthy obsession he has with Carly."

"You're one to talk." Jason said approaching the open door of the DA's office. Then set a tape down on Alexis' desk. "Here's the evidence you were looking for."

"You're right Morgan; I know a thing or two about the extents to which one will go for an obsession. Claudia is not the threat here."

"Jason, don't!" Lucky was standing in the hall watching as Jason's fist was clenching.

"You can leave Carly's safety to me." He said before walking off.

"The charges stand. Her arraignment is tomorrow at 11:30 am as well as bail hearing." Alexis informed him.

"Then be prepared to lose it all. You're backing the wrong horse." Ric cautioned before walking off himself.

"What was that all about?" Lucky asked alarmed as Jason mentioned Carly's safety being at risk.

"Mr. Lansing is using scare tactics to try to settle the case against his client." Alexis explained.

"Wait, you mean he is defending Claudia? Oh, this just gets more entertaining by the moment." Lucky commented.


	71. Chapter 71

Michael sat on the bed folding the designer labels he had accumulated during his stay with the Quartermaine's and packing them into his suitcase. He had a pile of boxes filled with books, DVDs, CD's, and video games as well as his school supplies.

"Can I come in?" Monica knocked on his door.

"Sure." Michael responded.

"Need help with that?" She noticed him attempting to zip up an overflowing suitcase.

"Yeah. How about I sit on it and you zip?" He smiled as they attempted the teamwork approach. After it was adequately shut Michael offered his sincere gratitude.

"What for?" Monica asked.

"For taking me in when you knew I was a loose canon. For looking after me without crowding me. For giving me what I needed." He answered.

"I only wish I could have been able to approach Jason the same way, but as a mother it's hard. I am glad that everything worked out the way it did between you and yours."

"Me too." He responded. "Who knew almost losing someone would put into perspective how much you need them?"

"Who knew?" He replied with a smirk almost as is it was a universal truth.

"It sure worked for Jason." He commented on the relationship budding between Jason and Carly.

"Somehow I thought it might." Monica confessed. "Do you have time for dinner? I think it would mean a lot to Edward."

"As long as it doesn't include Cooke's world infamous tuna surprise." Michael chuckled. "I think I have another hour before Lucky gets off of work."

"You're in luck, I pretty sure I saw lobster being prepared. It should be done pretty soon." She then reached under his bed to hand him a photo album. "I thought you might like this."

"What is it?" He said exhibiting his mother's impatience.

"Open it." She urged him.

Michael opened the first page to reveal the Quartermaine family tree. He flipped through the pages to find pictures of family gathering with both his great grandmother Lila as well as his aunt Emily. There were even photos of him and his mom when he was a toddler with AJ. His favorites though, were the pictures of a young Jason. On the last page was a recent picture with him, Monica, and Edward in the rose garden on the fourth of July.

"I can't tell you how happy I was to have had this chance." Monica said as she watched him study the picture.

"I'm glad I had this opportunity, too." Michael gave his grandmother a hug. "And I promise to not be a stranger. Do you know if Ned, Dillon, or BrookLynn will be back for Christmas?"

"Last I heard it was a definite possibility. Although I think it's now Kristina and Molly's turn to take on the mantel as the Christmas elves." She said as he went back to the pictures of Emily, and then Brooklynn.

"Molly is a little young yet. I wonder if I could convince Alyssa." He pondered the idea of his girlfriend in the dreaded costume; he thought they were cute and remembered having an innocent crush on Georgie back in the day.

"Monica!" They heard Tracy scream up the stairs. "Dinner!"

"With a house full of help you would think she could find a more suitable way." Monica said rolling her eyes at her sister-in-laws dinner warning. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, just let me wash up first." Michael requested. "I'll meet you down there."

**********

Carly sat in the glider cradling Britni. This was one time that she was more than willing to listen to her doctor's commands. It felt so safe and natural as she watched her daughter fall asleep in her arms. Her little ringlets were growing out; Carly brushed her hand over her head and kissed the baby's forehead.

"I'm so sorry." Carly whispered. She was sorry for leaving Britni without a mother for so long, and sorry for taking her father away as soon as she returned. "But I promise you that everything is going to work out, and that no matter what you will be loved deeply."

"Hi mom." Morgan stood in the doorway. "I thought you might be here."

"Did you have fun with Jax this afternoon?" She asked.

"Yeah, he took me out for dinner. Do you think he could come in?"

"He's here?" Carly asked. Morgan stepped out of the way allowing Jax access to the nursery. "You realize you don't need permission to see her?"

"She looks happy." Jax commented of their daughter who comfortably fitted into Carly's embrace.

"She's been cleaned and fed." Carly responded.

"It's more than that. She needed you." Jax replied. 'We all did,' he added to himself.

"Are you sticking around?" Carly asked.

"Michael should be over pretty soon." Morgan added.

"Actually I have plans tonight." He excused himself. Jax was sure that Jason would be there as well, and he didn't want to be around for that. "I just wanted to let her know I was thinking about her."

"You can hold her for awhile. I should fix myself something anyway." She said transferring Britni into her father's arms. Michael had called saying he was having dinner at the Quartermaine's. Morgan and Britni already ate, so she figured she was on her own for substance. Morgan followed Carly out leaving Jax some time alone with Britni. "Hey buddy, how was school?"

"Good, just one more week before winter vacation." He smiled. "Do you know what we're going to do yet while Michael is at the ski lodge?"

"How would you like to invite your friend's over for a New Years party?" She replied.

"That sounds fun." He stated not quite as enthusiastic as she had hoped.

"Hey." She rubbed his head. "I know you were probably thinking something more on the lines of a vacation, but I could really use some time home for a bit."

"I understand." He nodded, which only made it that much harder.

"Tell you what, on your Spring break why don't we check out that new Harry Potter amusement park that is opening in Florida?" She suggested causing him to bounce around the kitchen.

"Really?"

"Really. I can see if Jax will take Britni for the week, and then you, me, and any one friend of your choice can go together."

"Mom, is that all you are eating?" Morgan noticed as she put together a sandwich and a side salad which she had gotten used to choking down through the duration of the pregnancy.

"No, of course not, can't forget the cheesy snacks."

"Mother!" He reprimanded her.

"What? I've been given a clean bill of heath, and as long as it's in 'moderation' it's fine." Carly explained quoting her doctors. "Hey, do you want to see who is at the door?"

"I'll get that." Jax yelled down, hearing the same knock that she did, and then peeked his head in. "I'm going to head out. Britni has been tucked safely in the crib."

"Thank you." Carly replied.

He went to the door to let in Lulu, who he directed into the kitchen on his way out.

"I talked to Lucky, he was going to help load up his truck and then drive Michael over here. It sounds like there's not that much to move." Lulu explained.

"Thank you for coming and helping on this end." Carly replied.

"She's still not suppose to be lifting much." Morgan explained. To Carly it had felt like an eternity since the c-section, but after she woke up Dr. Lee had cautioned her to wait a month before doing any heavy lifting.

"I will admit, that seeing you and that precious girl up there was an incentive." Lulu told her cousin.

"Speaking of that girl. There was something I wanted to ask you. How would you feel if I named you her Godmother?"

"I would be honored." Lulu felt she was about to cry. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, who else?"

"I don't know… Olivia, or Alexis?" Lulu suggested causing Carly to glance questioningly at her. "Granted you and Alexis haven't been really tight, better lately though, and she is Jax' best friend. Okay, then who were you thinking for Godfather?"

Everyone in town probably thought that one was obvious, but with the way things were headed Jason may soon take over as stepfather. "Don't say anything, I haven't talked to him about it, but I was going to ask Lucas."

"I won't say anything. I'm sure he would love that."

"And you don't say anything either." Carly pointed her finger at Morgan who was listening on. Morgan put his fingers to his mouth to pull the invisible zipper over his lips shut. "He'll be home next weekend, and I've already talk to Father Coates about doing the baptism that Sunday."

**********

Michael had just finished dinner when Alice came into the dining room to announce Lucky's arrival.

"Send him in." Monica replied.

"You know, you don't have to do this, son." Edward had spent most of dinner trying to persuade him otherwise.

"It's time." Michael replied. "But I appreciate your generosity while I was here."

"Of course you did." Tracy spoke up. "Father has a talent for bringing in stragglers looking to cash in."

"Tracy, that's enough." Monica warned.

"What about you and that bottom feeder of a husband?" Edward clashed with her.

"Now this is the Quartermaine's that I know and love." Lucky entered. "I can't imagine why Lulu was so quick to blow this joint."

"Oh, thank goodness." Michael rolled his eyes at the bickering. "Hi, Sam?!"

"Lucky thought you could use an extra hand." Sam explained coming up from behind Lucky.

"The more the merrier. I can show you up to my room." He said finding his way to excuse himself from the table. The Quartermaine's were quiet long enough for them to exit.

"You had to spoil this by being rude." Monica quarreled with Tracy.

"I just think we are better off without the mobster's kid residing here." Tracy rebutted.

"That is my grandson." Monica argued.

"Oh please, once that kid walks out that door your probably only going to see him at weddings and funerals."

"Like your children?" Edward quipped.

Having enough of the conversation Monica got up and went to the study for awhile.

"This doesn't look too bad." Sam said eyeing the stack of boxes. She went to grab the one from the top but lost her balance causing her to stagger back into Lucky who grabbed the box from behind her. She turned to face him. Michael watched feeling the heat between them.

"Uh… the truck is parked directly outside, right?" Michael questioned.

Lucky nodded not breaking gaze with Sam.

"Okay then…" He said and grabbed the next box from the stack and rushed out to the truck. While outside he decided to give his cousin and Sam some time as he grabbed his phone to text Alyssa, with the romantic glances, and feverish gazes between couples that day all Michael wanted was to see her. As he waited for a response Lucky and Sam each came down carrying a box which he took from them to load into the back.

It only took a couple more loads to empty the room. After Michael adequately assured Monica and Edward that he would visit Lucky locked up the bed of the truck and they piled into the cab. Sam squished into the middle and Michael looked out the window attempting not to notice that the palm of her hand was located on his inner thigh.

"How have you been?" Lucky asked realizing that he hadn't talked to Michael in awhile.

"Okay." Michael responded. "I'm ready for break; hopefully things can settle down after the trial."

"How do you feel about that?" Sam inquired.

"The trial?" He questioned.

"Yeah." She replied.

"I hate what it's doing to my parents." He confessed. "I've seen them fight before, a lot actually, but not like this. I don't know if my mom can be in the same room with dad without wanting to tear his head off."

"She's been through a lot." Lucky defended her.

"I know. I can't imagine the hell she went through when I was in the coma. She was unconscious for two days and I felt like I was going to fall apart." He sympathized. "I guess I'm just glad that I have school next week when this is all going down."

"You're not planning on being in the courtroom at all?" Sam questioned.

Michael shook his head. "Not if I can help it. I want to move forward with my life. Hopefully after this we can all stop looking back."

***********

"Come in." Morgan greeted his sister.

"Is Michael here yet?" Kristina asked hoping that she hadn't arrived too early.

"Almost, Sam called about ten minutes ago saying they should be leaving soon." He informed her.

"Sam is coming?" Kristina looked puzzled.

Morgan smirked. "Yeah, she went with Lucky to the Quartermaine's."

"Oh… So that's why she disappeared." She inferred. Alexis mentioned that she was on a case that was keeping her out of contact, but Kristina could tell there was something she was leaving out.

"Why? What? Huh?" Morgan replied.

"Never mind." She responded following him into the living room. "Hi Carly, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. Thanks for helping. I know there are probably other things that you would rather be doing on a Friday night."

"No, not really." She confessed. "The big party night at Madison is usually Thursday's because everybody tends to go home on the weekend. Just don't tell my mom that."

"Oh come on, you're getting straight A's it can't be too bad." Carly replied recalling countless conversations with Alexis on how well her daughter was achieving, and her strive and determination to get into Yale.

"We're on tomorrow night, correct?" Kristina asked both Carly and Lulu who was distracted playing with the baby who had just woken up from her latest nap.

"New Moon, right." Carly responded having almost forgotten. "Yeah, I'm on. I should call Liv tomorrow; I haven't found the time to catch up yet."

"Just imagine if you wouldn't have come home early?" Morgan added.

"How did it go?" Kristina asked as the subject changed to the clinic.

"It was no vacation, I can tell you that much."

"I can vouch for that." Jason said walking in to inform them that Lucky had pulled up right after he had.

Lulu set Britni back down on the floor mat to join those helping load in his boxes.

"Don't even think about it." Morgan warned his mother.

"I'm not, I'm on baby duty." Carly replied.

"Are you coming?" Morgan asked Jason who had approached the couch Carly was sitting on.

"Just a minute. I will meet you out there." Jason waited for him to exit before kissing Carly.

"How did it go at the station?" Carly asked.

"Well, I ran into Claudia's defense attorney."

"I thought you said Dianne wasn't going to take the case."

"She didn't, so instead Sonny decided to sink to a new low." He said attempting to prepare her for it. "Ric Lansing is back in town."

Carly paused for a moment before breaking into laughter. It wasn't the reaction he was expecting, but he was glad that it didn't cause a stroke.

"Um… are you okay?" He inquired at she scratched her forehead.

Carly sighed. "Yeah, just don't let me near anyone with a loaded gun while I'm in the courtroom." She advised thinking back to the incident with Tony Jones a long time back. "Although, I do have a longstanding history of insanity I could use for a decent defense."

"We promised Michael…" He started.

"I know, I know. We'll let the jury decide." She threw up her arms in surrender. Jason placed his finger under her chin to guide her lips over to his. The distraction method worked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in.

"This is the subtle approach?" Michael asked stepping in first.

***********

"Thank you for inviting me out tonight." Alexis said sipping her wine as the dessert was set down in front of her by the waitress at the MetroCourt Grille.

"I was surprised you were available. Didn't the girls come home?" Jax questioned. He had called Alexis on a whim not wanting to spend the entire evening alone at the penthouse. Instead he found himself harmlessly flirting with his best friend.

"Kristina went over to help with Michaels' move, and Molly is out with her dad." "Her dad?" Jax looked confused. "Isn't he in L.A.?"

"He was. Apparently he took some leave to defend his sister-in-law."

Jax sat across from her stunned. "He what?"

"Oh, you heard me correctly." She nodded and took another sip from the flute. She then decided to provide him with some more good news. "Dianne stopped by today."

"Does that mean you got to take a look at the first draft?" He was hoping to avoid that discussion during the evening.

"Yes, and if this is what you and Carly discussed then you are being more than generous. You're giving her primary custody, the house, and the hotel in Montreal?"

"She's leaving me the MetroCourt." He countered. "Plus I am left with all my acquisitions prior to the relationship as well as Crimson. I wanted her to have that income coming in."

"Oh right, and the alimony and child support from both you and Sonny can't sustain her?"

"Can we curve this discussion for business hours?" He asked placing one of his hands on hers as it laid on the table.

"Maybe not." She confessed. "Unless Claudia is willing to plead guilty tomorrow then trial starts on Monday."

"You're kidding? Who pushed that through so quickly?"

She sheepishly raised her open hand. "Guilty. It's not that I don't trust your staff or the PCPD but I really want to get your brother on the stand as quickly as possible."

"Before he has the chance to disappear?" He understood.

"I suppose you haven't told your guests that you are harboring him here?" She teased.

"No, and poor Marty. I gave him a paid leave as he complained of having hostage flashbacks when Jerry arrived."

"He hasn't been walking the halls?!" Alexis questioned his visibility.

"No, but apparently the thought of Mr. Craig being near was enough." He explained.

"Have you been able to talk to him?"

"We had a conversation this afternoon. I haven't figured out his game play yet. What is that look for?" He asked noticing a hint of concern.

"Just something Ric said. He seems to think that I am making a huge mistake trusting Jerry."

"Well, he is defending Claudia." Jax reminded her. He liked how open and honest he could be with Alexis.

"So you don't think that Jerry is going to cause more mayhem as soon as the verdict comes in?" She was digging for any assurance from him.

He tried staying optimistic about it. "I suppose if we're lucky either Sonny or Jason will take him out depending which way the verdict goes." Jax wasn't sure how much he meant that, but did realize he had backed his brother one too many times when doing so almost cost him the life of his wife and unborn child.

"Now wouldn't that be nice?" Alexis said taking the final bite of her dessert. "Claudia gets put away for life for the shooting, Jerry gets killed for ratting her, and I get to press charges against Sonny for his murder."

"Is there anyway to sneak Jason into that scenario?" Jax asked as his green-eyed monster showed form and then held up the wine bottle. "Want more?"

Alexis pushed her flute towards him.

"Do you have a curfew tonight?" He asked as he watched her study her phone.

"No, Molly just asked if it was okay to have a movie night sleep over with her dad."

"How about that?" He replied with a smirk. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

"That is the wine talking." She responded sober enough to notice but not enough to care.

Jax contemplated the observation. "Not entirely."

"And is this the portion of the evening where you invite me to your place?"

"It is across the street. I mean just long enough to clear our heads before I drive you home." He offered.

"Yeah… okay." She accepted.

***********

"It's so nice to finally meet you Mrs. Jax." Alyssa offered her hand graciously.

"The feeling is mutual, but please, call me Carly." Carly studied the girl, and so far she liked what she saw. She had a tendency to be hard on women that the men in her life found interest in and wondered how that would transfer to her boys.

Michael went around the room with the introductions that he had yet to offer her. She met Lucky and Lulu the other day, and Kristina awhile back, which left Jason and Sam.

"Are you from Port Charles?" Carly asked trying to get to know her better.

"I was born in Rochester; my dad got transferred to the PCPD about four years ago where he made Lieutenant."

Jason turned away as he realized why she looked familiar to him.

"This place is beautiful." Alyssa complimented realizing the awkwardness as she mentioned her father's job.

"Thank you, we were just about to start a game. Would you like to play?" Carly asked attempting to ease the girls' anxiousness. After the boxes were dropped off in the room and Michael put away his clothes Morgan dragged out "Apples to Apples" before Alyssa arrived.

"It's a lot of fun." Morgan added.

"Okay, I'm sold." Alyssa responded.

"I hate to move and run, but we should probably get going." Lucky informed them as he and Sam stood up.

"I appreciate the help." Michael extended his thanks. "Both of you."

"It's good to see you happy." Kristina gave Sam a hug.

Sam smiled. "Sometimes things really do work out, have a good night, and count me in on that movie tomorrow."

Lucky walked over to his sister who was again holding her Goddaughter. He put his finger in Britni's clutches before wrapping his arm around Carly. "Take care, cuz."

"You too, and treat her well."

"Will do." Lucky responded, both he and Jason looked at her inquisitively.

"What? I like her better now that you're no longer with her." She whispered to Jason as Lucky and Sam exited.

"Go figure?" Michael said under his voice.

"How about that game?" Lulu suggested as she saw the look of confusion painted on Alyssa's face. She explained the rules briefly as Morgan and Kristina handed out the cards.

"You are playing?" Morgan asked handing Jason his cards.

Carly elbowed him in encouragement. He glanced at her puppy eyes and couldn't help but accept.

"Isn't she married to Mr. Jax?" Alyssa whispered to Michael and Kristina watching the body language between them.

"They are getting a divorce." Michael explained.

"That explains a lot." Kristina added. She too had noticed a change in Jax' attitude; she tried attributing it to exhaustion from being a single dad for a couple weeks.

"Who goes first?" Carly asked when it was finally set up.

"I think Jason should." Morgan suggested finding it amusing that he was willing to play a card game with them. He wasn't sure if he had seen that since he was three-years-old playing Candy Land. Succumbing to the pressure he flipped over a green card.

"Sappy." He read. "Gooey, mushy, romantic."

"Careful, that one is a literal." Michael warned Alyssa who had the biggest disadvantage in the game having the least amount of knowledge of their personalities.

"I have nothing." Kristina complained throwing down a card.

"All of them in?" Jason asked picking up the six cards and studied them. "Handguns?"

"Playing to the audience?" Michael defended his choice.

Jason shook his head no, and he placed down the card. He also put down Danielle Steel and Paris. "When it says 'my' it means.."

"Yours." Lulu explained but still harboring ill feelings for him dismissing Danielle Steel.

"Okay, then I'm going to have to discard 'my dreams.'"

"They are probably more so then mine." Morgan frowned as his card was discarded.

"I'm going to have to go with this one." He laid down 'Log Cabins.'

"Are you kidding me?" Carly asked. It was between hers and Alyssa's. "That's sappier than 'being in love'?"

"Read it…" He instructed. "See here, last sentence 'please pass the maple syrup.' What's sappier than that?"

"My Lord you're incorrigible." Carly teased him.

"And you're good." Michael praised his girlfriend who won the round.

As the game continued each appreciated the ice breaker it became to learn more about each other. Even Michael got to learn more about his girlfriend, and as much as he wished he could spend that time alone in his room he knew that wasn't an option.

"How many cards are we going to?" Morgan asked.

"Seven." Kristina answered, she, Alyssa, and Morgan all had six.

"What do you say Carly?" Lulu asked as her cousin examined the cards in her hand.

"Well, as hostile as the Industrial Revolution was, I'm going to have to go with Atomic Bomb."

"Yay!" Morgan cheered.

"Good job, bud, but I think it's time for you to go to bed." Carly congratulated him for the win.

"I should go too." Kristina announced. "Viola should be here soon to pick me up."

"We can walk you out." Michael volunteered himself and Alyssa. Who seemed like they were rushing for the door.

"Mind if I take her to the nursery?" Lulu asked, clearing the room out leaving Jason and Carly alone.

"You do realize that once Kristina leaves, Michael and Alyssa are going to…" Jason started.

"Do something like this?" Carly said initiating the kiss that she had spent the evening trying to repress. Jason cradled her head and she shifted on top of him. Wanting it to go farther but knowing it couldn't Jason guided her back to her seat.

"Maybe I should go too." Jason said wanting more than anything to follow her up to her bedroom.

"See you tomorrow?" She hid her disappointment.

"First thing."


	72. Chapter 72

**Author's note: I've been slowly concluding that TPTB over at ABC messed me up with they SORASed the kids, and stupidly I attempted (kind of) to go along with them. Unfortunately the deeper I get into this story the harder it is to stick to history. So let me clarify my revision of history to try to make everything I've already brought up work out. Ages: Michael 17 (almost 18), Kristina 15 (just turned), Morgan 9, and Molly 8. Michael conceived under same circumstances, Kristina conceived after Alexis left Ned at the alter, she was able to convince Sonny for awhile that Ned was the father. Carly was with Sonny at the time; they weren't really getting along, she was pregnant with his first which she miscarried bringing them closer together until she tried working with Roy to turn him in. Divorce was happening when Sonny had a one-nighter (I don't know maybe it was Angel) causing Carly to flip out and drive her car over the cliff. Sonny realized how much she meant to him at her funeral and they got back together to conceive Morgan. Same circumstances with Morgan, Ric was with Liz, kidnapped Carly, Carly was shot while in labor. After Liz found out what Ric did she dumped him, Ric had a fling with Alexis producing Molly.**

Alexis woke up in a panic as she looked to the clock on the end-table next to her reading 5:30 am. She gently lifted the arm that was resting on top of her as she attempted to find the clothes that had been scattered about the room as quickly as possible. She snuck out of the penthouse and waited until she was outside before almost hyperventilating. Once she gained composure she called Viola to pick her up and bring her back to the Lake House.

"Hi mom." Kristina grinned as she made her walk of shame; her hair a mess and wearing the same clothes from the prior evening.

"What are you doing up so early?" Alexis asked embarrassed.

"I heard Viola leaving to take the car out." She answered. "So who was it? And please don't tell me Jerry Jax."

"What?" Alexis was stunned by her presumption. "I really don't need to be discussing this with my fifteen-year-old daughter."

"It was Jerry?!" Kristina asked with disappointment. She had heard he was back in town to give testimony. "Mom, when are you going to learn?"

"It was not Jerry." She objected. "Jax invited me out to the Grille."

Kristina looked back at her puzzled.

"What?"

"Morgan said he brought him out to dinner." Kristina explained the confusion wondering what Jax' motives really were.

"We had dessert and wine. It was nice; just a nice quiet evening with a friend."

"Who is on the rebound. Hasn't history taught you anything? First dad, and then Ric. I mean really? Was the ink dry on his divorce papers when Molly was conceived?"

"That's enough, we're not discussing this."

"Spoken like a true politician." Kristina was sure with what she had seen that the position of district attorney was nothing more than another political seat.

"No, spoken like a mother who is politely saying what I do is none of your business."

"Until it becomes a scandal, like the night with the mayor." She reminded her.

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?" Alexis asked. "I though we had moved past it."

"We have." Kristina backed down. "And I'm not judging you, mom. From what I could tell last night Carly has moved on, but I'm worried about you and whether Jax has."

"That's sweet, hun, but you don't need to worry. Not about me, and definitely not about another rebound conception." A few years after Molly was born she had decided to take some added measures to ensure herself.

"If you say so. So, is Uncle Ric really in town to defend Claudia?" Kristina asked changing topics.

"I looks like… Speaking of which I have an arraignment I should be getting ready for." She said finding an excuse to hit the shower. Before leaving the entry she kissed her daughter on the head. "I love you, honey. Can we keep this discussion between us?"

"No problem." She replied and grabbed a book to read on the couch.

**********

"I'm not going to ask how bad it was." Sonny held Claudia's hand in the interrogation room. He was claustrophobic himself and the idea of spending the night in lock up put him into a panic.

"It actually wasn't too bad." She tried assuring him. Her childhood home felt more like a prison than the PCPD lock-up did, and at least there the warden wasn't a complete psycho.

"Has Ric been here to talk to you yet?"

"He came by yesterday after talking to Alexis to tell me that she wouldn't take the plea bargain."

"Then she can't complain when Ric gets you off." Sonny responded.

"You sound confident about that."

"I can't say I'm prepared to talk to Carly about keeping Michael out of this, but I will. And without sufficient evidence the prosecution has nothing except the testimony of a madman."

"Okay, but be careful when approaching Carly. You've been great, and I think I need you alive in order to back me."

"Huh? Maybe I should find a neutral party to do it, you think John would be willing?" Sonny teased.

"You're not suggesting putting my brother in the line of fire, are you?"

"Well… he's with Olivia, who is Carly's best girl friend, they could go over there maybe get her take on Michael's involvement in the trial. All right, no, I should suck it up…"

"Actually, it's not a bad idea." Claudia stopped him. "The last thing we want to do is suggest to Carly that there's something Michael can contribute which we are trying to cover. If you put her on the defense she may lash out and have Michael testify just to spite us."

"Michael has already said that all he wants is for this to be over." Sonny added. "I brought an outfit over for you to wear to the arraignment."

She opened the garment bag that she handed him. "Since when do I wear a grey suit with a forest green blouse?"

"I didn't think the typical black and red would be helpful in convincing the judge to let you go home."

"Do you think he's going to grant me bail?"

Ric stepped into the room as she asked the question. "She." He corrected her. "Judge Sabrina Hackett."

"Hackett? That's already sounding bad." Claudia observed.

"It gets worse. She's a mother of a sixteen-year-old son." Ric announced.

"Alexis really is pulling out all the stops." Sonny responded then tightened his grip of her hand. "But… so will we."

**********

"That was fun." Johnny grinned stepping out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and handed another to Olivia who was following him out. The bathroom mirror was steamed over as he hoped he was able to relieve some of her pent up stress.

"It was." She agreed.

Johnny offered his hand to guide her back into his embrace. He tilted her chin to lean in letting his lips press against hers. She jumped out of his arms to the sound of her ring tone.

"Dante?" She answered after sprinting across her apartment to grab the phone.

"Um… no." The voice on the other end answered. "Sorry to disappoint."  
"Oh, God no. Carly it is so good to hear from you. I've meant to come see you…"

"I've been busy too." Carly interrupted. "What's going on with Dante? You sound pretty desperate to talk to him."

"Oh nothing, you know, just… stuff."

"I don't know if that could be any more vague." Carly quipped. "I called to see if you were still interested in going to see the movie tonight?"

"What movie?" Olivia asked as the plans had slipped her mind entirely.

"Girls night out, remember?"

"Oh yeah, um… sure. What time were you thinking?"

"Kristina mentioned last night that her, Molly, and Alexis would meet us at TGI's across from the movie theatre around 4:30. I guess it depends on whether you want to meet here or there."

"What would work best for you?" Olivia asked. As much as she could spend the entire day alone with Johnny she didn't have anything else planned.

"Depends. Do you need to talk through this Dante situation?"

"Yes, but I really can't. However, if you need a distraction from the arraignment John and I can come over. That is if Johnny is welcome." She back tracked as the eye conversation with Johnny suggested it may be otherwise.

"As long as you can vouch for the fact that Johnny had nothing to do with ordering the hit that got my son shot I don't see a reason he wouldn't be." Carly responded. She was sure that Johnny had knowledge of it, and probably helped with the cover-up, but apparently so did Jax.

"Would you like to hear it from him?" Olivia asked then handed the phone over to a reluctant Johnny.

"Carly?" He answered. "What did you need?"

"I didn't need…" Carly started. She didn't require the phone transfer. "Look anything I may ask, you shouldn't answer. You've been good to me and the boys and I don't want to put you in a situation where you feel like you're hurting your sister. Just tell me that _you_ didn't have anything to do with the hit being set up."

"I did not." He answered directly. Claudia saw to it that he had no contact with either Jerry or Devlin that would implicate him in the conspiracy. "And I can't tell you how sorry…"  
"Don't." She stopped him. "Tell Liv that you can stop by anytime."

"Okay. We'll talk to you soon."

"What was that?" Olivia asked noticing the abruption of the call.

"Carly's way of keeping me from implicating Claudia." Johnny answered realizing just how generous she was being. He handed over Olivia's phone when his ringtone started.

"I'm going to get dressed." She pointed towards the bedroom as Johnny answered his phone. She entered the room and picked up the young picture of Dante she had on her dresser. The similarities to Morgan were uncanny. It was hard to believe that her secret had been kept that long. As she dressed she wished that she could go back in time and take back her confession, at least then Dante would be talking to her again. Instead she told herself that it had only been a day; he would forgive her, it was just going to take some time.

"Who was it?" Olivia asked fully dressed as Johnny walked in.

"Claudia." Johnny replied coldly. "She wants us to talk to Carly to feel out Michael's level of involvement during trial."

"Why?" Olivia asked feeling uncomfortable with the idea of using her friendship with Carly to help the defense.

"Because I was the one that told Michael that Claudia was responsible, so it is up to me gently guide Carly away from using that against her." He reiterated Claudia's argument. "Without telling Carly that Michael has been told this directly."

"I don't get it. Most of Port Charles knows about Claudia's involvement."

"Through Jerry Jax or the DVDs that he had sent out." Johnny explained. "The plan is to plead not guilty and undermined Jerry's testimony. You know, maybe I just shouldn't go over to Carly's until after this trial is over."

Olivia attempted to read what he was thinking; what he wanted versus what his sister was asking of him.

"You go, I'll lock up and then head over to the garage for awhile." He urged her.

"If you run into Dante…"

"I'll let him know your anxious to talk to him." He read her thoughts.


	73. Chapter 73

"What are you doing in here?" Lucky asked catching Sam in the evidence room.

"Are you going to bust me?" Sam grinned flirtatiously.

"I've already been through Devlin's effects, there's nothing there." Lucky informed her guessing that was what she was up to.

"Are you sure about that?" Sam pressed. The more cases she cracked the more she understood not to take anything for granted.

"It's over here." Lucky directed her over to the box. Mac had sent it over from the warehouse as soon as the case opened again.

Lucky lifted the top off of the box allowing Sam to rummage through the contents. She had not yet gotten past the morbidity of her job as she studied the hole on Ian's shirt where the bullet had penetrated. Sam held up the little black book and flipped through the pages.

"That's interesting." She said as she figured out his system.

"What is?" Lucky inquired.

"Did you notice that the business associates are listed by initials only?"

"That's not a hard code to crack." Lucky replied hoping the PCPD was given more credit than that. "Unfortunately neither JJ nor CZ are in there."

"Yeah, well, how many aliases has Jerry used over the years? He could be under anything? Besides he's not our concern right now." She said then flipped through to the Z's, unfortunately no initials were found; she then turned the search to the wallet. "What's this?"

"It looks like a business card to a Latino strip club." Lucky observed. The card was simple with just a phone number and clip art of a stiletto with the writing 'la Scarpa Rossa.'

"That's not Spanish. Do you recognize the area code?" Sam asked her instincts were telling her she may have found something.

"No." He answered truthfully.

Sam took out a piece of paper and pencil where she made a rubbing of the business card. Then flipped it over and wrote down the handwritten numbers on the back, which did not appear to be another phone number. Hearing the door start to unlatch she threw the contents back into their plastic baggies and slipped her gloves into her pockets. Lucky quickly shut the box and returned the evidence to the shelf before locking lips with Sam. She knew it was a cover, but melted in his arms regardless.

"Spencer, I get that you are the man of the hour around here, but this is not the time or the place to be having a quicky with your girlfriend." The voice said.

Lucky released his grip from Sam and acted shocked to see the Lieutenant standing behind them. "I am so sorry Lieutenant Johnson. I promise it won't happen again."

"Okay, I'm not going to rat you out this time, but see to that. She does not belong in here."

Sam nodded and rapidly exited the evidence room.

"Where are you going?" Lucky asked as she went to depart the station.

"Back to the office. I want Spinelli to do some translation for me." She replied.

"See you tonight?" Lucky hoped for the confirmation.

"Yeah." She grinned. "Make it my place this time?"

"Only if you're getting the hot tub ready?" Lucky pulled her in for another kiss before letting her rush off.

**********

"Please stand as Judge Hackett approaches the bench." The bailiff announced.

The arraignment was closed off to the public. Alexis Davis and Commissioner stood for the prosecution while Ric Lansing defended his client Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos. They all sat as the middle-aged woman took her mantel wearing an authoritative scowl, from what looked like years of dealing with murderers and rapists.

They listened as the bailiff announced the case. Judge Hackett looked through her papers before addressing the defendant.

"Mrs. Corinthos you have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, were you to plead guilty this carries a murder of the first degree sentence as well as reckless endangerment of a minor. Do you understand these charges?" The judge asked.

"I do." Claudia responded thinking back to a few days prior when those words carried an entirely different meaning.

"How do you plea?" The judge replied.

"The defendant pleas not guilty your Honor." Ric answered.

"Very well. Jury selection begins promptly at nine am Monday. The prosecution has requested a denial of bail, is that correct Ms. Davis?"

"It is your Honor." Alexis responded. "The prosecution has reason to believe that freeing Mrs. Corinthos would result in tampering of evidence."

"That's absurd." Ric argued. "There's no reason to deny my client bail. The intended victim of the alleged crime is the one offering to take her home and she poses no flight risk as she was the one that voluntarily flew back to the state when she became aware of the charges pressed against her."

"Please your Honor, the prosecutions case strongly hinges on an eyewitness who Mrs. Corinthos has already attempted to silence." Alexis explained.

"Are you able to provide evidence of such an accusation?" Judge Hackett asked.

Alexis nodded and inserted the audio tape Jason provided into the recorder. She pressed play and all attending listened to the phone call with Fredo where Claudia ordered the car bomb in April. After it ended Claudia stared out refusing to look defeated.

"Does the defense have anything to add?" The judge asked Ric.

"No, your Honor."

"Bail denied. Opening statements begin Tuesday morning. That is all." She said and stood up. The attendants followed suit and waited for her to exit before dispersing themselves. Mac came over to detain Claudia.

"Commissioner, please, can my client have a moment with her husband?" Ric requested as Sonny entered the courtroom.

"One minute." Mac warned and wandered off.

"That doesn't look good." Sonny observed giving Claudia a hug.

"The won this battle, that's all." Ric assured them.

"Please, what else do they have?" Claudia asked seeking comfort in her husband's arms explaining the evidence given to deny bail.

"Like Ric said, it doesn't matter. It is all a smoke screen. You are not here because you plotted to kill Jerry. Besides, how admissible would that be if you were actually on trial for it? They will bring you back to police station and we will go over your defense." Sonny assured her.

**********

"I thought Johnny was coming." Carly questioned as Olivia sat down next to her on the couch.

"As grateful as he was for your generous invitation he didn't really feel comfortable with it." Olivia looked around the room noticing how quiet the place was. "Where is everyone?"

"Michael went with some friends to the mall. He said something about Christmas shopping. Jax took Morgan to karate and then was going to keep him for the rest of the day, and Jason offered to take Britni out for a walk and then bring her over to my mom's so we could catch up."

"That's awfully nice of Jason. Am I to assume that there's going to be a lot more Jason/Britni bonding time ahead?"

Carly attempted to hide the smirk on her face, but the look told all. "I don't mean to put you in the middle of the divorce." She responded instead.

"No, actually I should be the one apologizing. I knew about the DVD all along. I was outside the room when Jax first played it, and I could have said something."

"It wasn't your secret to tell." Carly brushed it off. "And you're in luck. Right now I have enough animosity aimed at Sonny, Claudia, and Ric that I don't have anything left to hold grudges elsewhere."

"Good." Olivia smiled fearing at least some backlash from it. "Does that include Jax?"

"I'm not mad at Jax. I was." She clarified. "I was enough to throw a clot. I guess now it just comes down to trust and there's only one person that I've ever been able to trust completely."

"Jason." Olivia knew the answer.

"He loves me, Liv." She said with a joyful tear. "We were on the beach celebrating my latest test results. He told me he was in love with me."

"I'm truly happy for you." Olivia responded.

Carly hadn't felt like she could be this open and honest with a female friend since Courtney passed away, but could tell there was something bothering Olivia. "What have I missed here?"

"Um… not too much. John and I are doing great, so far."

"What does that mean? Don't tell me there is trouble? I figured that when you recovered from the secret that Dominic was actually your son Dante you were in for a smooth ride."

Olivia snickered. "Well, nothing it entirely smooth when he has Claudia for a sister."

"Okay? I would think with the miscarriage and now trial Claudia would have enough to worry about without sticking her nose into baby brother's love life."

"It's actually not Claudia this time."

"So spill…." Carly encouraged her. "And you don't have my heath as an excuse to keep me from the gory details."

"If I tell you this you have to promise to keep it between us." Olivia knew that Carly was probably the last person she should be telling about Dante, but she couldn't keep it inside any longer.

"Oh this sounds good."

"I mean it Carly, nobody. Not Jason, not your kids… nobody!"

"I promise. As long as it has nothing to do with somebody getting shot or killed."

"I told Dante who his father is, and now he's not speaking to me." Olivia confessed.

Carly listened. There had to be more to the story than that in order for her friend to be so adamant that it be kept private.

Olivia took a deep breath working up the courage to speak it out loud. "It was Sonny."

"Oh wow." Carly reacted as she heard it. Then she repeated as she comprehended what it meant. "Are you sure? What am I saying? How did I not notice?" She took a moment to get over the immediate shock. "Does Sonny know?"

"No. Dante was afraid with the rift between Sonny and Jason if rivals knew he was Sonny's kid that he would be a greater target."

Carly had enough experience with the business to understand that. "I'm sorry." She responded not wanting to be the reason that Dante was killed.

"You're sorry? I just told you that I've spent my kid's lifespan lying about whom his father was, keeping it from his family, _your_ family, and you are sorry?" Olivia responded.

"Liv, if you're looking for someone to be mad at you, you have your son for that. I already told you, I don't have the energy for it. Besides, if I was smart I would have stayed away from Sonny Corinthos a long time ago." She hated thinking that because she couldn't imagine not having Morgan. "I can't blame you for wanting to protect your son, and the rift is my fault. Jason turned away because of me."

"No, Jason turned away because Sonny is a self-righteous, egotistical bastard who tends to care more about who he is banging at the present moment than the people he swore to love and protect." Olivia clarified. "I was just afraid that Dante would hate me more if he never got the chance to know Sonny as his father."

"I think you did the right thing. I can't speak for Dante, but I'm sure all he needs is time."

"I hope you are right. That's what I keep telling myself."

"You mind if I grab that?" Carly asked referring to the ringing phone. She didn't mean to interrupt when her friend seemed to need her, but was expecting to hear back after the arraignment.  
"Yeah, go for it."

"Hello?" Carly picked up. "Okay." She said a few seconds later. "That's great!" She smiled. "Okay, see you at 4:30." She said before hanging up.

"Alexis?" Olivia figured.

Carly couldn't remove the smile from her face. "Bail has been denied."

"That's definitely a good start." Olivia rejoiced with her.

"From what Alexis has told me the judge is sympathetic to the case. Next step is to ensure the jury is as well."

"You really want to see Claudia put away for life, don't you?" She observed.

"Don't you?" Carly countered.

"Maybe a little bit." She downplayed her response. "Honestly I don't even think Johnny would mind as long as it's not her funeral he's attending."

"Well, he can thank Michael for that."

"What do you mean?"

"Michael doesn't want to be responsible for Claudia's fate. He's already told me that he wants nothing to do with the trial, which I respect, and wants it left to the jury to decide the appropriate punishment."

"That's very grown up of him."

"It is." Carly felt proud. "With all the arguments about him wanting to join the business over the years I have to admit I am very pleased that he wants it handled this way."

"Even if it means suppressing the urge to throttle her yourself?"

"Yeah." Carly laughed. "That's what I keep telling myself."

***********

"Bobbie?" Jason entered the Brownstone pushing the stroller through the entry.

"We're in here." Bobbie said from the living room. Jason wasn't aware of who 'we' may be.

"Mom?" Jason questioned as he entered. Both women were sipping on coffee.

"We both had the afternoon off work." Monica explained. "Don't worry, we're not talking about you, much."

Monica glanced to each other in some kind of mother code.

"Ah huh." He grumbled, and then picked Britni out of the stroller.

"Would you like to hold her?" Bobbie offered to Monica.

"I'd love to." She cooed as the infant was set into her arms.

"How's Carly doing?" Bobbie asked.

"Good." He gave his typical one word answer.

"How did the move go?" Monica inquired already missing Michaels' presence at the mansion.

"It went fine. Thank you again for taking him in."

"It was our pleasure." Monica responded.

"So, do you two do this often?" Jason asked still weirded out by the fact that his and Carly's mothers were spending the afternoon together.

"What's wrong Jase? Afraid we may be planning your wedding?" Monica teased.

Jason turned away to hide the fact that the former mob enforcer was blushing. "We would appreciate discretion with this."

"I hate to break it to you. If you don't want people knowing about it, you better stay away from each other because you're not fooling anybody." Bobbie weighed in.

"Okay, on that note, I should get going."

"Tell Carly I say hi." Monica laughed.

"Actually I'm going to the penthouse." Jason corrected them. With Carly at girl's night he was going to take the opportunity to catch up with Spinelli who had called him about evidence he and Sam were working on.


	74. Chapter 74

"Kristina, Molly, do you think you can go in and reserve the table?" Alexis requested as Sam approached.

"Sure, how many?" Kristina asked.

"Seven." Alexis answered.

"How did the arraignment go?" Sam asked once Kristina and Molly were inside.

"It went well. The bail was denied due to that piece of evidence you told me Jason had." She knew it was nothing she could base a case off of, but it served its purpose of setting the tone for the trial.

"I think I may have found something else." Sam admitted.

"What is that?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet. I have Spinelli working on it now. It just feels like it could be something."

"I'm not sure if Alexis believes in intuition, but I certainly do." Carly said as she and Olivia approached. "What do you have?"

"Tell me if these numbers mean anything to you." Sam said handing Carly a sheet of paper.

"What is this?" Olivia looked over her shoulder as did Alexis.

"I can tell you what it's not." Alexis responded. "It's one digit short for a phone number."

"I figured that one out already. Thanks mom." Sam rolled her eyes.

"What are we looking at?" Lulu asked.

"Guess who got the tickets?" Maxie said fanning them out in front of her.

"Hi Maxie. I didn't know you were coming." Carly greeted her.

"I hope that isn't a problem." Lulu responded.

"Lulu invited me when I found out that Sam was having Spinelli work all day." She glared at her friend. "And look, you're out playing with the girls."

"That's fine." Carly replied.

"Just tell the girls that we need an extra seat." Alexis instructed.

Maxie and Lulu bumped into the Davis girls on there way inside. Once Carly had adequately memorized the numbers she placed the piece of paper into her jeans pocket and then looked around to the women remaining outdoors and couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Olivia questioned.

"Oh, aren't we the odd bunch?" She replied never figuring the four of them would be friends. "You do realize the one thing we all have in common?"

Sam laughed as well as she placed it.

"What?" Alexis asked.

"Well to be fair, I think that covers 2/3 of the female population of Port Charles." Olivia weighed in.

"What sex with Sonny?" Alexis asked, and then caught on looking to Olivia. "Did you and Sonny…?"

"A long time ago." Olivia replied. She could add on a pregnancy with his child but that would require bringing up Sam's miscarriage and the secret of Dante.

"What happened a long time ago?" Molly asked stepping outside.

"Dinosaurs wandered the earth." Sam answered.

"Right, four grown women discussing dinosaurs." Kristina responded sarcastically.

"Well kind of." Alexis decided to throw the dig in.

"Oh look, the UFO saucer is flashing." Kristina held up indicating that it was time to be seated.

Once the drink orders were taken the table became eerily quiet as the women looked through the menus.

"Has anyone here actually read the book?" Maxie asked opening conversation to the movie they were about to see. Lulu, Carly, Kristina, and Molly all raised their hands.

"Mom." Molly ousted Alexis who reluctantly raised hers.

"All right, guilty." She responded. "But only because I wanted to know what my daughter's were reading."

"Ah huh, and that wasn't a Team Edward t-shirt I saw you wearing the other day." Sam joked.

"No, it was not." Alexis replied adamantly. "Besides if I had to choose a team it would be Jacob. The Edward and Bella pairing is beyond toxic, and bordering on disgraceful. The character completely loses herself and all ambition in him."

"A charming yet gorgeous bloodsucker that causes her to go weak in the knees and lose all sense of identity, I think I know the type." Carly gave her interpretation to the Edward character.

"You mean a guy that is completely wrong and dangerous but she can't help but he taken in?" Olivia contributed.

"And she could list 100 reasons why it's a bad idea, but one sparkle makes her forget every single one." Alexis added.

"Their relationship is based on something purely physical and yet makes her cast aside any moral values that she thought she had." Sam weighed in.

"I'm officially lost." Lulu admitted trying to recall Bella yielding to her own moral code.

"No, I agree with Alexis." Carly said not believing those words were coming from her mouth. "Team Jacob all the way. The best friend that thinks the world of her. Loves her for who she is. Catches her when she's about to fall, and would sacrifice all just to make her happy."

"But Edward is her true love!" Molly innocently argued.

"I somehow doubt they are talking about Bella." Kristina observed.

"Then who?" Molly asked.

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked the table.

"Yeah, I think we'll go with Jacob on that side and Edward over here." Maxie quipped.

"I'm sorry, may we have a couple more minutes to look over the menu?" Lulu covered as the waitress looked utterly confused.

"Absolutely, your drinks should be out soon." She said before wandering away.

**********

After leaving the Brownstone Jason drove over to the penthouse replaying the observations of those noticing the relationship building between him and Carly. The first person to say something was Sonny in the hospital, in South Carolina Carly mentioned Jax telling her, as they arrived home it didn't take much before Michael had figured it out, and it was abundantly clear that both parents were clued in. He wondered just how obvious it was, and if there was any real point in hiding it.

"What do we have?" Jason asked Spinelli who was sitting at the desk with his eyes glued to the laptop.

Spinelli unexpectedly stood up and rushed over to greet him with a bear hug. "The Grasshopper is so pleased to see his Master during the waking hours." He clung on.

"I suppose I have been fairly elusive." Jason commented pulling himself out of Spinelli's embrace.

"How was Stone Cold's adventure to the deep South? Everything is well with the Valkyrie, I presume?"

"Yes, Carly has been given a clean bill of health."

"That news is most joyous. Although with the presence of her faithful and amorous friend by her side there was never a doubt in the Jackal's mind that the Valkyrie would make a full recovery." He said alluding to the connection between them. "And I am sure once the Vixenella has been tried for her part in the fateful deed young mister sir was harmed the Valkyrie can heal from the emotional upheaval as well as the physical."

"That's the hope. Speaking of which, what did you find?"

"Oh, the fair Samantha had a hunch that there could still be substantiation to be found within the effects of the diabolical doctor that may bond him to the Vixenella. With this in mind the Goddess creped into the depths of the evidence vault with the assistance of the newly reunited detective to rummage through what appeared to the untrained eye to be nothing of utmost importance."

"And?" He pressed.

Spinelli handed Jason the rubbing.

"What is this? A business card?"

"In it's purest form, yes, but the Jackal believes it to be much more. Based on the use of the article 'la' the Jackal ascertained the language to be in the Southern European region."

"The red shoe." Jason read the card and then explained. "I've traveled through Italy."

Spinelli huffed as his master stole his thunder. "I came to that same translation and then searched for any matches among cyber space. The possibility crossed my mind that la Scarpa Rossa may be a Venetian firm however discovered it to be much more compromising."

"What?" He prodded hoping Spinelli would get to the point.

"An alias for discrete international transactions used by none other than the Vixenella herself. Although the Jackal attempted to place a call to the provided business contact number and found it to be currently out of service."

"Good job." Jason praised him. "What about that number?" He pointed to the number that Sam had taken from the back of the card; 440893052.

"The Jackal tried every permutation he could in order to crack to code and has found no meaning within those digits." He admitted his failure. Jason attempted to break it himself, but tended to find that Spinelli was more useful in the numerical problems.

**********

"Oh my God!" Carly exclaimed after taking a bite of her dinner.

"I didn't know the burger's here were that good." Maxie replied. "Damn, heaven knows if the fashion world weren't so hung up on personal appearance I wouldn't be ordering a salad."

"My taste buds have been off for awhile. It seems I'm finally getting an appetite back." Carly covered only half lying. "I'm going to use the restroom." She said eyeing Sam to join her.

"You know, me too." Sam stood up and followed. Once the door was shut Sam questioned Carly's reaction. "Did you figure it out?"

"I think so."

"And?"

Carly grabbed a pen from her purse and the paper from her pocket. "What if it was written like this?" She asked and wrote down 4/4/08, 9:30, 52.

Sam's eyes lit up. "We just found the order?" She said in disbelief.

Carly nodded and Sam picked up her cell phone.

"Fair Samantha, the Jackal was just about to check in. I thought you would be proud to know that your instincts were correct. The card itself has been found to have a direct link to the Vixenella. Unfortunately neither the master nor grasshopper have yet to decode the cryptic numerical combination..."

"Carly has." Sam interrupted him. "April 4th, 2008, at 9:30 pm, on pier 52."

"What did she say?" Sam heard Jason inquire after several moments of silence from the Jackal.

"Excuse me." Spinelli said into the mouth piece and then put the proper punctuation into the order.

Jason grabbed the phone from the stunned grasshopper. "Sam, where is this card?"

"It's still in the evidence closet." She responded. "What did Spinelli mean when he said there was a direct link between it and Claudia?"

"La Scarpa Rossa means the Red Shoe. It was an Italian alias Claudia was using to launder money when working for Uncle Rudy."

"Can we prove that?" Sam asked.

"Without admitting we are hacking into illegal files? No." Jason answered.

"Call Lucky. Tell him to pull the card as evidence and ask him to look in the black book under either RS or SR and see what it comes up with."

"What are we looking for?" Jason questioned.

"He'll know. Just catch him up with what we have." She answered before hanging up.

"Is this real?" Carly asked feeling the pieces falling together, to which Sam nodded.

"We should probably go out there and finish dinner before the movie starts."

"Is everything okay?" Olivia asked in concern upon their reappearance.

"Everything is great." Carly assured her and then looked to Sam as both smiled.


	75. Chapter 75

"What are you doing here?" Jax asked. "I mean with the bat out of hell way you took off this morning I didn't expect you back."

"I can't do it anymore." Alexis replied.

"Do what?" He asked.

"Completely transform myself into something else in order to justify being with a monster." She explained drawing the symbolism from the series the movie was based off of to her own past relationships. "I want my Jacob Black!"

"Does this have something to do with that movie you just got done seeing?" He asked completely confused and now remembering why it was never a good idea for a group of girls to go together and watch a chick-flick.

"Just come over here and kiss me." She cried still standing in the entry.

Jax did not argue. He was still lost somewhere in translation, but walked over regardless. She met him half-way but let him initiate intimacy. She tried holding herself back not wanting to push him to a point he was not yet ready to go, but feeding into her desired he scooped her into his firm embrace to carry her into the bedroom.

**********

"I hoped you would be here." Olivia stepped into a candlelit apartment.

"How was girl's night?" Johnny asked as he sat on her couch with his shirt removed. Olivia sat next to him and ran her palms over his bare chest.

"Turning out to be much better than I had imagined." She grinned and started nibbling on the earlobe causing his entire body to shutter.

"Did you and Carly have a good chat?" He inquired trying not to moan too loudly.

"Ah huh." She responded as she ripped her blouse open without messing with a single button. Johnny grabbed her by the waist and brought her towards him clued in to the fact that she wasn't in the mood for a deep routed conversation. She straddled over him arching her arms back allowing the blouse to drop behind her before succumbing to his embrace and locking lips fervently.

**********

"Guess what I found?!" Lucky boasted as he entered Sam's apartment.

"Why don't we celebrate tonight, and talk about it tomorrow?" Sam suggested standing on the opposite end of the living room right by the door leading to the balcony wearing a terry cloth robe and holding a champagne bottle in her hand.

He strolled over to greet her with a sly grin, and removed the bottle from her hand throwing it to the sofa. He pressed his right palm against the wall, propping himself up as he took on her weight and cradled her neck with his free hand as she wrapped her arms around his midsection. As they vehemently kissed her touch wandered below the belt. Lucky opened the patio door and took her into his arms. Sam held herself against him immuned to the crisp December air for the seconds it took to settle into the depths of the hot tub him still dressed in the jeans that clung to his form when wet and her in the scantily clad bikini she had hidden under her robe. Feeling the situation in his favor she dug her fingers below the cloth pressing upwards against his chest to remove his shirt before sinking back into the bath tempting him to follow.

**********

"Hi." Carly entered her living room. "This I wasn't expecting?"

"Well, I may have arranged it with your mother to watch over Britni and Morgan tonight, and perhaps persuaded Michael to stay over at Kevin's place." Jason explained stretched out on her couch.

"So that means?" Carly's eyes lit up.

"Yep, that means…"

She bent over to kiss him and grabbed hold her waist and transferred her over the couch landing her on top. Carly didn't waste time removing the black t-shirt. It had been too long for her since they were able to enjoy each others company, and she wasn't going to miss any time taking in the scenery. "God, you're beautiful." She huffed as he sunk his bite into her neck.

"Not nearly as gorgeous as you." He whispered into his ear combing his fingers through the hair at the base of her skull. She removed her shirt and used momentum to drop herself to the floor with Jason knelt over her; he pushed aside the coffee table in hopes of avoiding a head on collision and continued the personal contact. As he kissed her he forgot all the reasons they had to conceal the relationship finding ecstasy in each moment spent together.

Before Jason could squirm away she started tugging on the belt and unbuttoning the jeans.

"This isn't fair." Jason teased as he lay over her almost entirely undressed.

"What are you going to do about it?" She tempted him. He started by removing the shoes she had not yet taken off since entering the house. Then worked his way up the slacks, all the while keeping eye contact that left her almost void of breath. Jason then slid his hands under the fitted sweater she had on digging his fingers into her back as he listed her up. She helped by sliding the sweater over her head. "Better?" She asked.

"Much." He replied. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed.


	76. Chapter 76

"Thank you for meeting me today. I'm sorry to take up a Sunday morning but this was the only time this week the owner could meet." Olivia explained to Caitlyn.

"That's no problem. I mean the spa is open seven days a week, right?" Caitlyn clarified.

"It is, and since you're here early would you like to check it out first?"

Caitlyn nodded and Olivia encouraged her to follow. "This part of the hotel is fairly new, but there's a pool with a weight room attached complete with cardio equipment." Neighboring the work-out facilities was a full scale spa with facial, manicure, pedicure, and message services.

"No kidding a pool." Caitlyn's eyes widened as she entered. "Olympic sized?"

"Not quite." Olivia responded.

"Are those the new underwater bikes?" She pointed to a row of machinery on the other end of the room feeling like a child in a candy store.

"Yes, our guests are free to sign one out at any time, but we were hoping that you may be willing to do a weekly spin class."

"Absolutely. Do you realize how great those are for people with joint pain?"

"I see you have already started the tour." Jax walked in behind him. "Nice to meet you, I'm Jasper Jax."

"Caitlyn Montgomery." She replied not sure how a 'how do you do?' would sound.

"Should we step into what would be your office?" Jax suggested pointing the ladies in an office space connected to the weight room. Once they were seated he tried breaking the ice. "Olivia has told me a lot about you."

'Not everything,' she hoped to herself. "I'm going to guess it is all good considering you invited me here." She said instead.

"You have incredible credentials." He clarified.

"I did mention how we met." Olivia added to pacify her apparent nerves.

"I brought a resume for you and some letters of recommendations from past and present clients." She handed him a folder.

He opened the folder and quickly scanned through the papers. "Would you care to hear more about the hotel?"

Caitlyn expressed her interest.

"Construction was finished in 2004 after the former Port Charles Hotel sustained irrevocable damage from an electrical fire."

She displayed her solemn as he continued to explain the restoration of current hotel, and the publicity it took to ensure the citizen's that it would not happen again.

"Currently we have twelve businesses using this space as a base of operation. Along with the spa utilities, there is the MetroCourt Grille, the Boutique, Port Charles' own fashion magazine 'Crimson,' as well as other local businesses."

"The addition of the spa was an idea of one of our investor's who abandoned interest once it was built. Olivia and I were hoping to build it into something beneficial for guests and staff."

"That sounds wonderful."

"I'm sure you have your own questions for me."

Hoping not to sound too presumptuous she responded. "I suppose that depends on whether you were interested in hiring me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Yes." Jax responded. "Olivia was right; you are exactly what we were looking for."

"Really?" She looked to Olivia who nodded.

"Okay, when do I start? How does the schedule work? And am I salaried through the hotel or privately?" She threw questions at him.

"If you're available, how about tomorrow? We can work it around your school schedule for the time being, and figure out something concrete after graduation. You would be hired on as a hotel employee, but in charge of scheduling your own appointments with your clients which we would track the fee for. You would not be required to keep track of payment."

"Tomorrow is good."

"Anything else?" Jax asked.

"Not that I can think of."

"If you are comfortable with it I will have Olivia start you off on the hiring paperwork."

"That sounds great." She replied before Jax left and then addressed Olivia. "Um… I did have a private concern…"

"What is it?"

"I'm just hoping to avoid playing the role of go between for you and Dante."

"Well, I can't say that I haven't been suppressing the urge to ask you how he is doing since you stepped into the hotel." Olivia admitted. "But I agree, I shouldn't put you in that position."

Caitlyn could see the sorrow and fear in her eyes as Dante was mentioned. "Since I brought it up, though. He's doing okay. He is processing, which is normal. He will get through it, and I'm confident that the two of your will be stronger for it."

"Thanks." Olivia smiled. "I should get that paperwork for you."

***********

Dante sat in the last pew during the service at the Queen of Angel's church. It was a Falconeri custom to attend Sunday morning mass, especially through Advent, and was sure that his mother scheduled herself at work to avoid an uncomfortable run in. He looked to the front where Michael and Kristina sat, as Michael attempted to not make eye contact with Alyssa who was seated a few rows down with her parents. Morgan tried to hide the game of hangman that he and a classmate were playing. Over by himself on the other side of the aisle was their father who looked just as uncomfortable as Dante felt. Sonny had yet to talk to any of his children since returning from Italy, and wasn't sure what Carly may have told them.

Once the service ended the congregation headed to the reception. Morgan veered towards the buffet table where the cookies had been laid out, but caught a glimpse of Dante instead.

"Hi." Morgan rushed towards him. "How are you doing?"

"Not too bad." Dante answered trying to resist the urge to take his baby brother into his arms and tell him right then and there.

"I still owe you a rematch." Morgan told him.

Dante shook his head trying to recall.

"You know, 'Space Aviator.'" He reminded him Thanksgiving, the last time they saw each other.

"Oh yeah. Our after dinner game kind of got cancelled, huh?"

"Yeah, just like mom to steal all the attention." Morgan teased.

Dante chuckled. "How's your ma doing? I heard she came back from the clinic early."

"She's well, except for the whole divorce thing."

"What divorce?" Dante questioned.

"My mom and Jax. He knew about the shooting and didn't tell her." Morgan explained.

"That's too bad, I'm sorry."  
"Sorry about what?" Sonny asked as he entered the conversation, and then patted Morgan's shoulder. "Hi bud."

"Hi dad." Morgan looked up to his father as he appeared unsure of how to respond to his presence. "I was just telling Dante that mom and Jax are splitting up."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Sonny attempted to offer console that Morgan wasn't buying. He knew that his dad never liked Jax or the relationship he had with Carly. "I was wondering if you, your brother, and sister would like to join me for lunch at Kelly's."

"You would have to ask them." He replied apathetically.

"Ask us what?" Michael asked.

"Would the three of you care to join me from lunch?" Sonny asked again.

"Yeah, sure." Michael responded. "Krissy?"

"I guess, yeah, that'd be fine." Kristina added.

"Can Dante go too?" Morgan requested.

"No, I really shouldn't." Dante took a step back as he inwardly begged Morgan not to give him the puppy eyes.

"Please?" Morgan responded with just that.

Picking up on his brother's apparent necessity to have him there, Michael added. "Hey, it would be fun. You can tell us all about the girl. Are you still seeing her?"

"Yeah, actually that's going good. I guess if Mr. Corinthos doesn't mind…" He was hoping to find an out.

"No, by all means, if that's what they want…" Sonny responded hoping to be able to bridge that gap with the kids as it was apparent that Morgan, at least, was struggling.

"Can I ride with Dante?" Morgan asked. Michael and Sonny both looked to Dante who shrugged.

"Why not?" He surrendered.

**********

Carly took a deep breath as she plopped over to her side of the bed. A satisfied grin fixed to her face. Jason rested with his back to the mattress staring straight up bathed in sweat. After taking the time to work his breathing back to a normal rhythm he turned over to face Carly.

"What time is my mom bringing over Britni?" She asked him as he was the one arranging the plans.

"Another hour or so." He replied brushing away a stray lock from her face. "Did Sam tell you about the evidence?"

"I was right there when you were talking to her, and I actually got to help!" Carly beamed. She had felt completely left out of the investigation as everyone around her hid what they knew in order to protect her. "I figured out the order."

"I can't believe it didn't pop out right away." Jason confessed. Every detail had stuck out in his mind as if it had happened the night before.

"I agree; they looked familiar when Sam first showed the numbers to me. I thought it may have been a bank account or something."

"Spinelli looked into that, also looked into the possibility of it being a social security number." Jason explained. "After getting off the phone with Sam we did find out more."

"Like what?"

"I called Lucky, as Sam requested. He looked in the address book and under la Scarpa Rossa, or in this case SR, guess whose number was listed?"

"No way?"

"The current New York cell number of Claudia Zacchara. Lucky is bringing it to Alexis today and having prints run and an expert on hand writing take a look at the business card." They were hoping to take the next step into a direct tie with Claudia.

"Wouldn't that be nice? A neat little package tied off with a red bow." Carly smirked. "Remind me when this is through to send Lucky and Sam on a month long dream vacation; anywhere they wish."

"We don't have a conviction yet." Jason reminded her.

"No, but Alexis is smart enough to work that one out."

"And now you're being nice to Alexis, are you sure you're feeling all right?" Jason checked her forehead. Carly grabbed it and leaned in for the kiss.

"I'm fine, I can actually be fairly decent when I don't have to battle for my guy's attention."

"Not this time, I'm all yours." He kissed her again, and this time lingered.


	77. Chapter 77

"Let Mr. Jax know how thrilled I am, and I promise I won't let you down." Caitlyn said as they made their way to the lobby after finishing the paperwork.

"We have complete faith in you." Olivia assured her and then turned her attention to someone exiting the elevator. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to your upstairs guest." Ric responded.

"That floor is off limits."

"As the attorney for the defense it is well within my rights to examine all the evidence against my client." Ric explained. "I'm sorry, have we met? You look familiar."

"I doubt it. I've been told I have one of those faces." Caitlyn said and reached out her hand to introduce herself.

"This is Ric Lansing." Olivia cut in. "And he was just leaving; I assume you got what you came for?"

"No need to by so touchy Ms. Falconeri." Ric replied. "A pleasure meeting you Ms. Montgomery."

"You mean as in former district attorney Ric Lansing?" Caitlyn asked ignoring the cattiness between them.

"You do know me." He confirmed.

"By reputation only. I will see you tomorrow." Caitlyn said to Olivia before bolting out.

"What did you do?" Olivia accused Ric. She could have sworn she saw tears welling up in Caitlyn's eyes.

"I don't know. Typically I don't generate that strong of a reaction." He responded pensively as he tried to place where he thought he knew her. There was something memorable about those eyes.

**********

Sonny found that conversation was most comfortable on the topic of school, although what he was getting from Morgan was the obligatory 'good' or 'fine' which was a far cry from the endless babble that he typically got from his youngest.

"When do your college applications go out?" Sonny asked Michael.

"They have already been turned in, now it's just waiting for the acceptance letters."

"Really, when?" Sonny questioned. "I was hoping to help with the application fees."

"It was a few weeks ago, mom and Jax took care of that." Michael responded.

"You know you can come to me with any of that. That goes for all of you."

"I know. We just know how busy you've been with everything." Kristina spoke up trying to refrain from getting too specific about Claudia and their lost child.

"I'm never too busy for you guys." Sonny insisted.

"Yeah right." Morgan grumbled.

"Maybe I should go." Dante said feeling like the fifth wheel in a conversation obviously not aimed at him.

"No, don't." Morgan pleaded, and then turned to Michael and Kristina. "I don't get you, how are you okay with what he is doing?"

"Morgan, keep it down." Kristina warned him; she was just happy with the invitation to spend time with her father. "He's not perfect, but dad loves us." She said offering a sympathetic hand to Sonny, who was happy she knew that.

"This was a bad idea. Dante, will you give me a ride home?" The nine-year-old asked before walking off.

"Here, let me talk to him." Michael offered as Dante started to stand. "He's my brother."  
"Of course." He said and sat back down.

"I do appreciate you being a safe place for the kids." Sonny addressed Dante as they watched Michael follow Morgan out to the patio.

"Morgan, what's going on?" Michael approached him.

"He's defending her. He's standing by Claudia's side knowing that she's the one that got you shot."

"It was an accident." Michael declared.

"Maybe it was, but do you have any idea what that did to mom?" Morgan cried. "As much as she wanted to be, she wasn't the same after you got hurt. She was scared. She was crying all the time when she thought I couldn't hear her."

"Come here." Michael offered his arms to his brother. "What happened was tragic, and a lot of people got hurt, especially mom. But mom has all the support she could ask for; she has us, and Jax, Grandma Bobbie, Uncle Lucas, Lulu, Lucky…"

"Jason." Morgan added.

"Yeah. Dad needs support and crazy as it is he found that in Claudia. I'm not saying that we have to agree with it, or even like it, but don't blame him for it." He waited for Morgan to give some sort of a response. Instead he bent down to face his brother. "Mom is not going to ask us to pick sides. You can have a relationship with dad without betraying her."

"Can Dante bring me home?" Morgan responded.

"Sure." He hugged him. "Tell mom, I'll be home in a bit."

**********

"Alexis, can I have a moment?" Lucky stood outside her office.

"Please, come in." She encouraged him.

"You look different; did you do something with your hair?"

"Besides the new highlights I got last week, no."

"Oops." He caught his observational delay. "Well, whatever it is, it's working for you."

"I'll consider that a compliment."

"I'm here because some new evidence was found in Ian Devlin's effects." Lucky explained before digging himself into a deeper hole.

"Does this have something to do with the numbers Sam was playing around with last night?"

"I'm sure it does." Lucky responded and handed her the plastic bags.

"Help me out here. What am I looking at?" She asked looking at the business card and address book. They had already been to the lab for print dusting so he didn't bother putting on his gloves.

"What if I told you that this is Claudia's Italian alias?" He pointed to the cars, and then flipped it over. "And this is the order for the hit?"

"I'm listening." She entertained the idea as Lucky explained how they drew the conclusion and then dug in the point by providing Claudia's number as a contact in Devlin's book presumably under the same alias.

"I haven't heard back from the lab yet for prints. Unfortunately the expert positively identified the writing as being Devlin's by comparing it to the numbers in his book." Lucky explained further.

"Okay, it's not a slam dunk, but this may be the tangible evidence linking Claudia and Ian that we needed." Alexis said encouragingly. "Would you be willing to testify to this?"

"Absolutely." He replied before turning to leave.

"Wait." She stopped him. "Thank you for all your help in this."

"You're welcome, this was actually all Sam."

Alexis proudly smirked at her daughter's persistence in this case. "Yeah, well, thanks for making her happy as well."

**********

"Hey you! How was church?" Carly greeted Morgan who ran into her arms as soon as he darted out of Dante's car.

"It was fine." He responded.

"Did you and Ryker play hangman again?" She teased him.

"Maybe." He responded and turned his head away. "But it was church related. We took passages from the bible."

"Dante?" Carly looked stunned as he approached behind Morgan. "I… I didn't know that you…"

"Yeah, I hope it's not a problem. I ran into Morgan after the service and he requested a ride home."

"Sure, no problem. Um… Morgan, can you go see if Britni needs a bottle yet?" Carly tried coming up with any excuse to talk to Dante alone.

"He actually had a pretty rough morning." Dante confessed as soon as Morgan left auditory range, and then explained what happened at lunch.

"So, Sonny brought his kids to lunch." Carly repeated. "All of them."

Dante shut his eyes briefly. "Ma told you?"  
"I'm not going to say anything." She assured him. "Olivia was upset and needed someone to talk to. She misses you, Dante. It's hell on a mom when their child is mad at them and there's nothing they can do about it."

He looked away not sure if there was anything he could say in response.

"Morgan looks up to you, and I was wondering what role you saw yourself playing in his life."

He shook his head. Part of him processing the news that Sonny was his father was figuring what it meant for his role as a brother. "I don't want to put him in any danger. I…" He took a breath. "I love that kid. Look I'm sorry Carly, until things slow down, maybe I should just stay away."

"Wow, now that's naïve. It never slows down, not completely. There's always some looming threat. Process all you want, but don't use that as your excuse."

"I'll keep that in mind; tell Morgan I'll be by soon for that rematch."

"I will." She replied.


	78. Chapter 78

"Dad, I'm so sorry about that." Michael said after encouraging Dante to bring Morgan home.

"He has every right to be angry, you all do." Sonny confessed.

"I've learned that it doesn't really help." Kristina told him. She had experienced years of feeling abandoned before she realized all she could do with treasure the time they did spend together. "I'm not going to lie though. I don't understand why you would defend her. She tried to kill you, and she could have killed Michael."

Sonny looked around the diner. "I want to have this conversation, but not here." He stressed.

"Krissy and I can follow you over to the house." Michael suggested. He was about ten steps ahead in forgiveness then either one of his siblings and could sense Kristina's desire to comprehend it.

"Yeah, mom's working today anyway." Kristina didn't think Alexis would notice if she spent the afternoon at the Greystone.

Kristina hopped into the passenger's seat happy that Michael had gotten past that fear. "What did Morgan say?"

"He has the same concern you have. How can dad defend Claudia? And it doesn't help that the shooting is the reason behind mom and Jax' divorce. I don't want to know how he would react if he found that it was the reason for mom's stroke."

"Oh no." Kristina reacted to the news.

"Yeah, that's what caused her collapse, well finding out her husband knew Claudia was responsible. She didn't remember again until she was in South Carolina." Michael explained. "Where fortunately she was receiving treatment and had time to process, and let's be honest Jason is the only one that helps her keep a level head."

"How are you able to forgive everyone?" Kristina asked, the more she heard the worse it sounded.

"Do you remember the day of the collapse, we were in the hospital, and I was blaming everyone and seconds away from bashing my hand into the nearest wall?"

"I remember."

"I was looking for an excuse to explode on anybody, it didn't matter who. My mom was hurt, her life was on the line, and luckily I had you and Lucky to help me through it, but I understand that impulse to react and ask questions later." He explained as he pulled up to the gates of the mansion. Security flagged him to go ahead.

"I don't understand what that has to do with Claudia." She said as they walked up to the door.

"Claudia was defending her brother." He replied. Max let them into the den where Sonny had just sat down.

"Can I get you anything?" Sonny offered to which both declined.

"Is it true?" Kristina asked. "Did you threaten Johnny? Is that why Michael got shot?"

"There's a reason that your mother tried to keep you away from me. The business is all consuming and unrelenting. As much as we try to minimize innocent casualty it happens regardless. For me to truly say I was sorry for it, would mean that I would leave it, and I can't. History has shown that. Because of that, I can understand if you were unable to forgive me." Sonny explained.

"Why would you go after Johnny?" Kristina asked.

"He thought the Zacchara's shot Kate and kidnapped me." Michael explained.

Kristina shook her head. The perpetuation of violence with further violence was beyond her comprehension yet somehow she knew that was the world her father lived in.

"I can't justify anything to you, Kristina, because it's not right, nothing about this is right. What Claudia did was stupid and reckless but it's not worse than the things I have done. Including being the reason that Michael was their in the first place."

Michael rolled his eyes as his father went there.

"I don't know when it happened, but I do love Claudia, and I'm hoping to be given the chance to treat her with the respect that I should have given in my past relationships. What I do know is that we work much better as partners than enemies, and I understand if you can't accept that, but don't think I love you any less regardless."

"I don't know if I'm ever going to like the woman, but I still love you." Kristina said giving her father a hug.

"That works." He whispered into her ear.

**********

"I thought I might find you here." Ric said approaching the young woman he just met at the hotel.

"Congratulations, you figured it out." Caitlyn said brushing the tears away from her cheeks.

"It was the eyes. Did you ever get the chance to meet him?" He asked staring down at the tombstone below her.

"No, what was he like?" She asked not breaking gaze from the name etched into the concrete slab.

"He was passionate, lost, looking to find his way." Ric described.

"Until…"

"I'm sorry." He replied. "You haven't told anybody, have you?"

"What's the point?" She sniffled.

"You may be surprised." He responded.

"Sure." She scoffed and walked off.

**********

"What was Dante doing here?" Jason asked seeing Sonny's foot soldier leaving as he pulled in.

"He was bringing Morgan back. Apparently Sonny tried having lunch with the kids after church and Morgan couldn't handle it." Carly explained.

"That doesn't explain Dante."

"Morgan requested that Dante come with. I don't know, I guess he just felt safer with him there."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Jason asked seeing it in her expression.

"Not my something to tell." She confessed; she already felt like she had blown Olivia's trust by bringing it up to Dante that she knew.

"Mom." Morgan peeked down from the top of the steps. "I think she could use a bottle. I tried rocking her for a while, but she's still fussy."

"Thanks sweetie, I'll be right up." Carly went to the kitchen to heat one up. "How were your errands?"

Jason followed her into the kitchen and let the prior discussion die trusting that Carly would tell him if it was something he should know. "Glad they are over." He admitted after getting back from talking to Dianne about signing away his holdings of Corinthos and Morgan Inc.

"What's the plan now? And don't tell me you would be satisfied staying housebound."

"For the safety of everyone I have agreed to keep the split quiet. As far as what I'm going to do? I have no idea. For the time being helping out at McCall and Jackal P.I. isn't sounding too terrible though."

"Oh." She said looking less than thrilled.

"What's that look for?"

"I'm just not sure how I feel about the idea of you and Sam going under cover together." Carly admitted.

Jason laughed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"What?" She hit his chest. "I'm serious, you know things happen when you're on case, and there's high stress and life and death decisions are being made."

He shook his head and held her tighter.

"You can't tell me that's not exactly what happened to reunite her and Lucky."

"Right, her and Lucky. You and me. No amount of undercover work is going to change that, especially on my end." He promised her.

"Okay." She conceded, and let Jason kiss her.

"What's taking so long?" Morgan asked walking in on his mother and Jason kissing. "Whoa!"

"Oh, Morgan, I can explain…" Carly started. "Jason and I…"

"Are together." He said matter-of-factly. "What, you didn't think I knew? I thought everyone did, I just didn't expect to see it in the kitchen."

"Okay, we are officially busted." Carly looked to Jason.

"How did you know?" Jason asked.

"Well, the first clue was when mom told me that her and Jax were getting a divorce and wasn't completely heart broken, and please have you not noticed the googily eyes between you two? Spending last night at Grandma Bobbie's? Really subtle."

"So, you are…." Carly tried to prompt his take out of it.

"Mom, you're happy. I don't remember the last time I have seen you this happy, I know it was before Michael's shooting though. So of course I'm fine with it."

"When did my little boy grow up?" Carly asked.

"When you had your back turned… to kiss Jason." He teased and darted off.

"Oh you little." She chased after him.

"I'll get the bottle." Jason announced watching Carly run to the living room and tackle Morgan on the couch.


	79. Chapter 79

"John, you came!" Claudia smiled. She had been awoken with the news that there was a visitor to see her.

"I thought you might want some company while your lawyer was down at the courthouse deciding your fate." Johnny explained.

"That's right, jury selection is today. I swear time runs together here. I can barely tell when the sun rises and sets."

"Do they give you a newspaper at least?" Johnny asked seeking a solution.

"Are you kidding? And read what that is saying? I think I'll pass. I'm seriously wondering the odds of finding twelve jurors in Port Charles with no bias or knowledge of Sonny Corinthos and Claudia Zacchara."

"There are hermits everywhere, right?" He tried to joke.

"Did you get what I asked for?" Claudia asked realizing the awkwardness as he attempted to be the supportive brother.

Johnny shook his head. "Don't put me in that situation again." He demanded.

"Don't tell me that you've sworn allegiance to Saint Jasos and Sister Carolyn?" Claudia mocked Jason and Carly.

"And this is why I haven't been here to see you. Do you get that you're asking me to use the woman I am in love with…"

"Please, you're gonna make me sick." Claudia gave a grimace.  
Johnny rolled his eyes. "This is the only time you're going to use me to spy on the prosecution, you hear me?"

"What did you find out?"

"Michael doesn't want to testify and Carly's not going to push it." Olivia had passed on that information to him and left it up to him what to do with it.

"That's great." She beamed.

"Maybe not." They heard Sonny enter.

"Michael won't testify." Claudia filled him in.

"I know, I talked to him yesterday, but apparently the prosecution has come up with some pretty damning tangible evidence against you." Sonny informed her. "Do you own business cards?"

"Not anymore. I shredded them up once the number became irrelevant." Claudia replied.

"All of them? You didn't give any to Jerry Jax or Ian Devlin?"

"No…. oh."

"Oh?" Johnny questioned.

"I first met Ian in Italy. He was dealing in experimental drugs and thought we could be of use to one another. It's possible I could have given him a card back then, but my name is not even on it." Claudia explained.

"And hopefully your prints aren't either." Sonny cautioned.

"Come on, that had to have been like three years ago, what are the odds they find a clean print?"

"They've obviously figured out some tie to find is relevant." Johnny added. "You know, with Sonny here now, I should get going."

"John…" She attempted to stop him.

"I have work to get done." He rebutted and left.

"What's his deal?" Sonny asked knowing that Johnny was at least involved enough to set up the treaty to begin with. Claudia didn't want to tell him that it was another botched hit that she had set up against Jason that brought Dominic Porelli, aka Dante Falconeri, into their lives. Johnny still resented the fact that she asked him to stand by and watch the person protecting him to get shot.

"His relationship with Ms. Falconeri is clouding his loyalty." Claudia explained instead.

**********

"Morgan, are you ready?" Carly asked handing him a book bag.

"All set." He said zipping his coat.

"Okay, have a good day. Jason and I will pick you up after school." She told him giving him a kiss on the cheek before he ran out to the carpool.

After watching her son scamper off she took the stairs to join Jason in the nursery cradling the sleeping baby. It reminded her of the days in the cottage with Michael, only this time he was hers. No Robin Scorpio butting in on their life together and no secret looming over them threatening to destroy what they had.

"I swear there is nothing sexier than watching a man nurture a baby." Carly commented.

"She's beautiful." He said in response. "Just like her mom."

"Let's hope she doesn't take too much after her mom or else those teenage years are going to be hell."

"I don't know, that same tenacity and willfulness is what brought her into this world, and I'm sure without it I would have lost you a long time ago."

Carly smiled as he listed the traits that tended to give him the biggest headaches. "You just remind yourself of that the next time I come up with a plan."

"Okay, now that…" He started before she kissed him. "That's not fair."

"Maybe, but I could use the distraction."

"Why?" Jason asked, wondering what it was he was distracting her from.

"Right now Alexis and Ric are picking out the people responsible for determining Claudia's guilt." Carly explained. "I can't wait for the courtroom to open up so I can see for myself what it going on."

"Are you ready for that?" Jason questioned. "Are you ready to face Sonny and Claudia?"

"I don't know." She admitted. "Morgan was right when he said I was happy, but only as long as I don't think about that."

Jason held her hand. "Remember what Dr. Drake said. You still have to watch your stress levels, if this too much…"

"It would be more stressful if I wasn't there." She replied. "Just promise me that you'll be by my side."

"Every second." He promised.

**********

"You left awfully early this morning." Dante accused a sweaty Caitlyn.

"I wanted to get in a longer run." She replied.

"You nose is all red." He teased and approached her to put his warm hand over it. She cuddled into the human space heater. "Is everything okay? You seemed a little distant last night."

"Yeah, I'm fine. How did it go with your siblings?" She asked recalling him mentioning something about lunch with the Corinthos clan.

"It was…. Difficult." He admitted. "I kept wanting to say something, and I know how much it would mean to Morgan. If I would have known earlier that I had brothers and a sister to look out for… It's just not fair."

"I agree, it sucks. The children are the innocents in all of this. Parents play their games and… and the kids don't have a choice in the life they are brought into. I just wish that I… never mind." She said closing off again.

"No. What?"

"It doesn't matter, and you mentioned having to go down to the garage."

"You're right, but this isn't the end of this discussion."

"Yes it is." She said before kissing him. "Remember in the coffeehouse when I gave you a discussion dismissal under the stipulation…?"

"That you got to use one yourself." Dante recalled which just made him more eager to find out. "Fine, have a good day, and I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah." She confirmed. She let him lock the door to her apartment before heading towards the shower. Caitlyn spent most of the run attempting to clear her own thoughts, but couldn't help but make that detour back to the cemetery along the way.


	80. Chapter 80

"Where have you been?" Johnny responded coldly to Dante's entrance.

"Out." Dante replied not in the mood to deal with a Zacchara tantrum.

"Okay, I get that you and your ma had some sort of an argument, but this is not the time to let family issues effect your business."

"If only it was that simple." He hoped to brush it off.

"Make it that simple!" Johnny shouted. "This isn't the time, you get that, right? Sonny's enforcer walked, we're all vulnerable!"

"Yeah, I do get that, but I also get that when I'm here I have to have a level head, so excuse me if I took some personal time off." Dante fired back.

"Is your head on straight now?" Johnny backed down as he realized his frustration came from his own familial issues.

"Honestly I don't know." He confessed.

"Would it help if I told you Olivia was missing you?"

"No." Dante scoffed. "She brought this on herself. She's the one that lied."

"About what?" Johnny asked.

"She didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Our boss, you know the head honcho? Your beloved brother-in-law?"

"I know him."

"He's my pa." Dante replied snidely.

Johnny stood waiting for an explanation.

"You got it. The man I came her to take down is the same one that knocked up my mother when she was sixteen." He continued. "So please, excuse me if I'm having a hard time separating the business and personal."

Both men jumped when they heard a canister drop outside.

"What was that?" Dante asked. Johnny ran out to get a look at anyone who may have been listening on. "Anything?" Dante questioned upon his return.

"I didn't see anyone." Johnny replied. "It was probably the wind."

"Johnny, you can't tell anybody." He waited for reassurance.

"No, I, I agree. I… oh God." Johnny responded as it sunk in. He revisited every conversation he was with Olivia about Sonny. He knew Sonny was a part of her childhood, but never indicated anything like that. "Does anybody know?"

"I told Caitlyn. Ma told Carly. I didn't know if she may have told you." He said hoping it could be contained to that.

"No, she told me it was safer if it didn't get out, and now I get it."

"Hey, the best thing we can do is act normally. So, what did you need from me?"

"Did you hear anything from the informant?"

"No, my guess is he's laying low to avoid scrutiny." Dante explained.

"Did you get the message about the shipment landing tonight? If you're up for it, we can meet here beforehand."

"Yeah, I'm good." He assured him, forcing himself to deal with it.

**********

"How did the selection go?" Sonny asked Ric as he entered the interrogation room. Ric was eating up the dependence his big brother was putting on him.

"It went about as well as we could hope for. I tried to limit the number of mothers, and made sure that those opposed to the right to bare arms were dismissed." Ric explained assuming they would not be sympathetic to the mobster's wife.

"Have you been able to examine the new evidence yet?" Sonny asked.

"No, I will take a look at it as soon as the lab results come in. Claudia, I think it's time that we talk about your ties to Jerry and Ian prior to you coming to Port Charles."

"I didn't really know Jerry, my Uncle Rudy did and he seemed like someone without any scruples who might benefit from Sonny Corinthos' death." Claudia explained wishing her husband wasn't there as she gave the details.

"Why did he turn you down?" Ric asked.

"Because his sister-in-law might take offence if he killed the father of her children." She reiterated his excuse. "Instead he brought Devlin in who he had his own side deal going with." Claudia then went on to explain her brief contacts with Devlin while in Italy.

"They were smuggling the counterfeit drugs, right?" Ric questioned.

"Yeah, I think so." Claudia responded. She hadn't gone into much detail with them about their outside dealings. "Do you still think we could win this?"

"We have the burden of proof on our side." Ric said confidently. "I did have the pleasure of talking to Jerry Jax yesterday. Unfortunately that man can come off as charming and courteous when he wants to be."  
"That's because he's a sociopath. Hannibal Lector also acted like a gentleman when he wasn't eating his victim's brains." Claudia countered.

Ric snickered. "Hannibal Lector wasn't real, but you're right, Jerry is twisted, and I think I may know someone that try as she might, won't be able to hide that on the stand."

"Who is that?" Sonny questioned.

"Leave that to me. Alexis is going to give me her witness list this afternoon. I'll meet you back here afterwards to talk through the strategy." Ric explained before he headed out.

"He's good at what he does." Sonny encouraged her with their hands held.

"You still don't trust him." Claudia observed.

"I trust that he'll do whatever it takes to win this case." He answered honestly. For some reason his little brother still sought his approval, and this just could be the thing to grant that.

**********

"I'm so sorry I'm late. How did our little girl's check up go?" Jax asked rushing to General Hospital as soon as he could.

"She's doing great; in the 85th percentile for height and weight." Carly explained which she was thrilled with for being born prematurely.

"That's wonderful." He responded. "Where is she?"

"Jason was bringing her; he must have gotten stopped on the way to the elevator."

"Jason? Carly, I'm not sure how I feel about him playing such an open role in her life."

"He's a part of my life, and nothing you say is going to change that." Carly insisted. "I thought we already discussed this."

"We did, and I promised not to use Britni against you, but that doesn't mean I don't get to hold reservations." Jax explained. "He's a mobster."

"Not anymore." She countered.

Jax laughed. "Okay, so he's fighting with Sonny now. How long do you truly believe that's going to hold?"

"You know, it doesn't matter. Mobster or not, I trust Jason with my life."

Jax shook his head. "And you trusted Sonny too, until Michael was shot."

"Jax, what do you think you're doing?" Jason confronted him.

"Reminding Carly of the truths of your world." He answered directly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take my daughter now."

"I'm very much aware, thank you very much." Carly said giving Britni a kiss on the forehead before directing Jason to hand Jax the car seat. If she didn't get it before spending a year talking to her son in a coma opened her eyes to certain realities. "Have her home by nine."

"I don't want to fight." Jax backed down.

"Then don't." She responded simply. They let Jax take the next elevator trying to avoid further confrontation knowing that it wasn't good for the baby. She turned to Jason. "Where did you disappear to?"

"I ran into Elizabeth." He responded.

"Oh?"

"I think seeing me with Britni kind of got to her." Jason explained. He noticed her freeze up as she saw them; he tried talking to her, but she claimed she had too much work to get done.

Carly shook her head; she knew better than to talk smack against Elizabeth, but the way she saw it, it was Liz's own fault that Jason wasn't a part of his child's life. It was what she wanted because she couldn't handle the life he lived. She waited until they were on the elevator to comment. "With you out of the mob, do you think you'd attempt custody of Jake?"

"My life isn't any safer now, if anything, it's worse." He admitted. "Liz wanted to make it work, but I always knew that she was scared. Deep down she would never be comfortable with me being his father."

"But he's your son, and I know how much it would mean to you…"

"I would be a complete hypocrite. I kept the secret for you because you believed that AJ could hurt Michael."

"We both knew what could happen if AJ found out; what did eventually happen. You're not AJ." She argued stepping into the parking lot.

"The difference is that alcohol isn't my drug of choice." Jason rebutted. "You and I both have this instinct to live on the edge, and thrive in dangerous situations. Elizabeth isn't built that way."

"You know, I tried telling you that a long time ago."

"Carly…"

"Okay." She backed down from her 'I told you so.' "I'll support whatever you want."

"It's not a matter of what I want." He replied.

***********

"I hope you have some good news for me, Mr. Mendes." Anthony Zacchara said shackled to the table.

"No touching the prisoner." The warden instructed. "We'll be right outside."

"How friendly, aren't they? Please, have a seat." Anthony offered.

"I did as you asked Mr. Zacchara." Frankie told him.

"I would hope so. You know what they say? Fool me once… Guess what? I don't play shame on me. So tell me, what did you find out about your good friend Mr. Dante Falconeri?"

"He's making headways in the company, perhaps more ambition than Johnny to eventually take over." Frankie explained.

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen. What is the news on the Corinthos/Morgan split?" The old man asked.

"It's not a rumor; the entire organization is running scared now that Jason has left. The timing to make a move is perfect."

"That's good news." Anthony smirked. "But not good enough to keep you alive." He threatened.

"I overheard your son and Dante talking. Apparently Ms. Falconeri kept his paternity from everyone, including him."

"I'm waiting." He said impatiently.

"Dante is Corinthos' kid."

The news sent Anthony into a maniacal roar. "Now that's just too perfect."

"Mr. Corinthos is not aware of that presently."

"And he's not going to find out until he's attending the funeral." Anthony insisted. "Good job, Frankie. Next you are going to set up a meeting with the Corinthos spawn at the garage."

"But, what if your son is there?"

"Set it for Wednesday. John will be too busy playing the supportive brother to his lunatic of a sister." Anthony explained. "I'll make sure that there's an appropriate welcome party for Mr. Falconeri."


	81. Chapter 81

"Mom, you look gorgeous." Michael said stunned as she came down the stairs in an evening gown.

"Thank you, are you going to be alright watching Morgan this evening?"

"I think I can handle it. Is it okay if Alyssa comes over to do some homework?" Michael asked.

Carly was hesitant to agree knowing that Alyssa's parents would be completely against it. "Okay, but you stay down here." She insisted.

"Absolutely." He smiled.

"We should be back before Jax beings Britni home at nine."

"Mom seriously, you don't have a curfew. I can handle looking after Britni until you get home. Go, please! Have fun."

"Oops, can't forget the coat." She said before exiting. Jason was waiting for her outside as the driver stood by the limo door. "You should really wear a suit more often." She smirked.

"I don't think so." He said adjusting the tie.

She pulled on it herself to bring him to her. "But we can have so much fun taking it off." She whispered.

Jason held her as the driver brought them down to the docks. They waited to be let out before stepping aboard the haunted star. She wasn't sure how she managed to get Jason to agree but she had been in the mood to go for awhile.

"You know, we could just skip this part of the evening." He whispered to her, never being one for public outings.

"You promised."

"Good evening, Caroline." Luke greeted them. "Well, this is a surprise, Morgan."

"What's hot tonight?" Carly asked him wondering the first place to set her chips down.

"Besides you?" He charmed her. "I would suggest the roulette."

She looked over to the table and watched as the crowd cheered for the winnings. "Sounds good. We'll try that after the bar." She told Jason.

"Are you sure you should be…?" Luke started to ask as she was just barely out of recovery from her latest heath crisis.

"This coming from the man who went straight for the whiskey after what? The Quadruple bypass surgery?" She questioned.

"Point taken." He replied but stopped Jason before he could follow her over to the bar. "Morgan, you take care of her."

"I'll do the best that I can." He responded indicating the part of Carly that would always do what she wanted when she wanted to.

"What can I get for my favorite cousin?" Ethan asked finishing an order from another customer.

"Actually I have heard that the drinks are better when I leave it up to you." She responded.

"I can't say that I mind that reputation." Ethan said mixing a few drinks together. "It's good to see you up and about."

"It's good to be up and about." She replied. The last time she saw Ethan was in the hospital the night she had woken up.

"Anything for you?" He asked Jason who stood by her side.

"No. How much for that?" He asked pointing to her drink.

"This one's on the house. I forgot to get you flowers." He explained.

"This is much better." She admitted after taking a sip. "Thank you."

**********

"Your mom is the coolest." Alyssa said as Michael entered the living room with a big bowl of popcorn. Their books littered the coffee table.

"Yeah, well, she walks a fine line between acting to keep her kids safe and being a complete hypocrite." Michael explained. "Plus, she trusts me."

"I've noticed that. Of course with you, you don't have to sneak around and lie."

"You shouldn't have to Lys. I can show them that I am not my father. You'll never really know until you give them the chance." He tried persuading her.

"Are you kidding? Do you have any clue how they would react if I told them a few days ago I was playing a card game with Jason Morgan?" She knew that even if he wanted nothing to do with the business, his life was entrenched in the mob. As she met people like Jason Morgan, Johnny Zacchara, and Dante Falconeri she found them to be decent and likable people, but there was no way her dad, especially, was going to get past those ties. "We have one semester left in high school, and then my parents don't have any more say. And if we do go away, maybe they would be more willing to accept you."

"To be fair, Jason isn't in the business anymore."

Alyssa giggled not sure if that would mean anything to her father with the wrap sheet of charges he had accumulated over the years. "That's nice for your mom, but…"

"Still not going to win over yours?" He finished.

"Not so much."

"I'll summit for now. We do have a big chemistry test coming up."

"I think we'll pass that one with flying colors." Alyssa said pulling Michael in for a kiss. That wasn't the chemistry he had in mind, but wasn't going to complain either.

"Okay, gross, you said if I got washed up for bed we could watch a movie and eat popcorn." Morgan said interrupting them.

"And you washed everything? Behind the ears?" Michael questioned hoping to have a little longer.

"Yep." Morgan declared. "Can we watch something really scary? Jax and Grandma would never let me."

Michael glanced over to Alyssa to see if there were any objections. She seemed fine with the excuse to curl up next to her boyfriend.

"Okay fine." Michael said. "But we do have to keep a light on so Lys and I can study."

"How about this one?" Morgan held out a DVD.

Michael laughed. "Did you have to pick out one where the killer's name is Michael?"

"It's okay, Myers is my second favorite Mickey." She joked.

"Go for it." Michael instructed him to put in the movie. Morgan sat in front of the coffee table glued to the set of the sixth installment of the Halloween series. This worked out perfectly for Alyssa, who through study breaks found herself seeking comfort in Michaels' grasp.

**********

Jason's entertainment for the evening came from watching Carly smile and laugh each time the gauntlet spun and she increased her winnings. She relished in the attention she was getting from the men around her. He knew that part of her wanting to dress up and get out was because after months of pregnancy she wanted to feel as sexy as he knew her to be.

Jason glanced back at the entrance momentarily to find Luke chatting up his longtime friend Sonny Corinthos.

"Carly, it's getting close to nine maybe we should go." He whispered to her.

"Michael said he was fine looking after Britni for awhile." She replied forgetting how much fun the casino could be.

"I really think…"

"What is it Jase?" She asked and then followed his gaze to the entrance. Jason could see her shoulders start to tense up. She turned to the other players. "Nice to meet you boys, but I have to run."

"Or you're going to turn into a pumpkin?" She heard one of them ask.

Jason quickly grabbed the coats as Carly cashed in. They attempted to sneak past Sonny on their way out and made it to the dock before Carly heard her name called out. Stopping dead in her tracks she answered. "What could you possibly want?"

"Carly, we have to do this at some point." He replied.

"Do we? Because I was perfectly fine with the idea of walking the other direction when we saw each other."

"That's not feasible." Sonny argued.

"And why not?" She fired back.

"Because we have two boys together." He answered. "Two boys that you wanted to discuss visitation with before leaving for South Carolina."

"A lot has happened since then."

"Like what?" He had the audacity to ask her.

"Like finding out that your wife was responsible for having my son shot!" She yelled.

"They're my boys too." He brought his voice down hoping to calm hers.

"No, you signed your rights away." She said in almost a growl.

"Carly…. Jason help us out here." Sonny requested.

Jason shook his head. "No, she's doing just fine."

"You can't keep me from my boys." Sonny declared.

"I won't. Michael is almost eighteen. Who he spends his time with when he's not under my roof is up to him." Carly explained. "And _if_ Morgan decides that he wants anything to do with you again, I will make for damn sure that he is guarded by someone I trust anytime he goes near you."

"Carly…"  
"This is the last time you are choosing your slut of the week over your children. Mark my

words, Claudia is never going to go near my kids again as long as I have anything to say about it!" She steamed and then turned to Jason. "You ready?"

"I always knew the day would come where you would choose her over me." Sonny observed.

"You made your bed." Jason replied back, and held Carly's hand. "Let's get out of here."


	82. Chapter 82

"This is it." Carly said to Jason standing outside the courtroom. The case pitting Claudia against the State of New York was about to start and she was anxious about leaving her fate up to a bunch of strangers. She knew that was how the justice system was supposed to work, but what was fair about her son being shot?

Jason tightened his grip on her hand in encouragement before opening the door and leading her into the seat directly behind the district attorney Alexis Davis. The courtroom filled of Port Charles citizens showing their support, but the room was hushed as the bailiff announced the entrance of Judge Hackett.

Everyone sat as she took her post. She briefly announced the case before inviting Alexis to give her opening statement.

"On April 4th, 2008 at 9:32 pm a shotgun went off and a ricochet bullet was embedded in the brain of a sixteen-year-old boy." Alexis started. "I am sure that many have read that story in the Post or caught glimpses of it on the channel 8 news. I don't need to tell you that the boy was the son of the intended target; who was there to watch a shipment come in from his father's coffee business. You probably also heard that within weeks following it was confirmed that a Dr. Ian Devlin was responsible for pulling the trigger that night.

"The problem was that everyone watching the story was left with the question of why. What reason did Dr. Devlin have for perching himself on the pier aimed to kill? The prosecution can answer that one for you, his motivation was greed. Dr. Ian Devlin was being paid to take that shot by the defendant Ms. Claudia Zacchara. The prosecution will prove that Ms. Zacchara had motive, means, and opportunity to plan that shot. She wanted Mr. Corinthos dead, and Dr. Devlin was not the only person approached to do this deed for her. You will hear from a witness that can tell you in detail what Ms. Zacchara said, and the lengths she went to put Dr. Devlin on that pier." Alexis explained before taking her seat.

"Mr. Lansing?" Judge Hackett called for the defenses opening statement.

"My client is being charged with conspiracy; what you are about to hear from the prosecution is just that, a conspiracy theory. Don't be deceived by what this trial is about. What happened to young Corinthos was a tragedy, but this case is questioning who wanted Mr. Corinthos dead and why. Ms. Davis talks of motive and opportunity, but the witness she is about to provide for you can be charged with the same. Mrs. Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos is happily married to the man that she has been charged with attempting to kill, and I can prove to you even then her motivation was to bed her future husband, not bury him." Ric explained with a smug grin aimed at Alexis before taking his seat.

"Ms. Davis your first witness." The judge called.

"I call Mr. Jason Morgan to the stand." Alexis responded.

Jason laid his hand on Carly's knee and glanced to her in support before stepping over to take the stand. He raised his right hand as he vowed to tell the truth.

"Mr. Morgan can you tell me your occupation?" Alexis asked.

"I am a partner in Corinthos and Morgan Incorporated." Jason answered. "We have a coffee importing business."

"And with this coffee importation, do you and your partner own any waterfront property?"

"We own three of the major piers on the Harbor." He replied.

"Does that include pier 52?"

"It does."

"In fact, pier 52 is location of your former warehouse, correct?" She clarified.

"It is."

"Mr. Morgan, since acquiring these properties has there ever been any arguments over its use?"

"Several." He knew to answer as directly as possible.

"Have any of these arguments resulted in violence?"

"Yes."

"Had anyone from the Zacchara Organization inquired about use of that specific pier?"

"There was expressed interest. Both my partner and I were cautions about the nature of the supplies being shipped." Jason responded.

"Do you believe that the events of April 4th were a result from failed negotiation?"

"No." Jason answered. "That was Claudia's personal vendetta."

"Objection." Ric called. "Speculation."

"Sustained." The judge responded. "Counsel, stick to the facts."

"Yes your honor." Alexis address the judge. "Mr. Morgan you were present for Dr. Devlin's confession, correct?"

"Yes."

"Can you provide the court the details surrounding his death?"

"Devlin was attempting to skip town, I was tracking him until I found that Maxie Jones had stowed away in my truck. I let her out in hopes of keeping her safe, directing her to find her way home. Later that evening a fellow associate received a distress call from her. We went back to where I had dropped her off and found her in Devlin's clutches. In attempt to save her I shot Devlin after he confessed to the shooting."

"At that time did he indicate any sort of accomplice?"

"His last words were 'there's more'." Jason answered.

"No further questions, your honor." Alexis replied.

"Cross examination." The judge called for.

Jason fought the urge to display disgust as Ric approached him. "Mr. Morgan, you and your partner have a difference of opinion over his wives guilt in this case, correct?"

"Yes." He said resisting saying 'obviously' not wanting to take the bait.

"You mentioned several violent arguments for the use of the waterfront. How many people over the years have wanted either you or your partner dead?"

"I don't know."

"You mean you can't estimate, 1, 3, 5, 12?"

"I don't know." He said more adamantly.

"So many you can't count?" Ric ground in the point.

"Objection, your honor?" Alexis appealed.

"Counsel." She reprimanded Ric.

"Sorry." Ric responded. "Mr. Morgan, with the countless number of people out to kill you and your partner, how can you be certain that in this specific case my client was responsible?"

Jason hesitated to answer.

"No need to answer, Mr. Morgan did Dr. Devlin mention my client's name in his confession?"

"No." Jason answered.

"No further questions." Ric relieved him from the stand.

"Next witness?" The judge asked.

"I call Mr. John Zacchara to the stand." Alexis responded unshaken by the cross examination. Johnny stood up from Sonny's side and took the stand raising his right hand. The bailiff read the creed; to which Johnny agreed.

"Mr. Zacchara, what is your relationship to the defendant?"

"She's my sister." Johnny answered the obvious.

"Are you close?"

"Yes."

"How close?"

"Enough."

"Enough for what? Would she die for you?" Alexis asked.

"Probably."

"Would she kill for you?"

"Objection." Ric called.

"Sorry, strike that." Alexis called before the judge could make her ruling.

"Mr. Zacchara, where are you from?"

"My father has a mansion on an island off the coast of Manhattan where I grew up."

"What brought you to Port Charles?"

"My father's organization was looking to do business at the Harbor." Johnny answered. "I was interested in checking out the territory."

"Were you involved in your father's business at this time?"

"No, but my father wasn't well, and there was a possibility of me eventually taking over."

"When did you formally meet Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan?"

"It was in October of 2007, the night of the Cassadine ball." Johnny recalled.

"The same night that resulted in your father's arrest to the Institute of the Criminally Insane?"

"Yes."

"And after that, who took over the organization?"

"I did." Johnny answered; he knew where the line of questioning was going but also knew any lie that he could give could be rebutted.

"Mr. Zacchara, at what point did your sister enter the picture?"

"She was living in Italy, my father's lawyer was concerned about my ability to run the company by myself and asked her back home to help advise me."

"What was your relationship with Corinthos and Morgan at this time?"

"We were competing for waterfront property that belonged to another associate. It was intense, and when Corinthos' girlfriend was shot and son went missing at the same time there was a strong suspicion that Claudia or I had something to do with it."

"Did Mr. Corinthos act on that suspicion?"

"Yes, he took me to a padded room where he beat and starved me, and threatened Claudia that she'd never see me again until she brought back his son. A meeting was eventually set up on the pier for my return the night the docks exploded; after which Claudia instructed me to strike a treaty with Corinthos." Johnny decided to finish the line of questioning on his own.

"Did you do so?"

"Yes." Johnny answered.

"After he beat you? You were able to set that aside?"

"For the sake of the business, yes."

"And your sister, the one who would die for you, came up with this idea?"

"Yes." He answered.

"No ulterior motives?"

"Objection, leading the witness." Ric called out.

"Sustained." The judge replied.

"No further questions." Alexis responded.

Ric stood up hoping he knew where Johnny's loyalty remained. "Mr. Zacchara, did your sister ever say anything to you about planning the murder of Michael Corinthos Jr.?"

Johnny looked to his sister who through her eyes desperately pleaded with him. "No." He responded.

"No more questions." Ric stepped down.

"You may step down." The judge informed Johnny. "I'm calling for a recess; we will reconvene in an hour." She said dismissing the courtroom.

**********

Left in the courtroom after the dismissal was Claudia, Sonny, Ric, and Johnny.

"Thank you." Claudia addressed her brother.

"I told you, I'm not going to do anything to hurt your case." Johnny insisted.

"Except give them the motive?" Sonny countered.

"The motive that they could have gotten from any number of people." Johnny argued. "It's not like it was a secret that I disappeared shortly after your kid did. If it came out later that I lied about that I could wind up in prison with my entire testimony stricken from the record."

"You did fine." Ric replied.

"Thanks, but I can't do this anymore, I really can't be here." Johnny responded; gave his sister a hug, and walked out of the room.

**********

"Here, you should eat something." Jason said handing Carly a sandwich from the cafeteria.

She pushed it aside. "I'm not hungry."

"Honey, please." Bobbie attempted to persuade her.

She shook her head; she was too nervous to think about putting something into her stomach.

"Carly, all Alexis is doing right now is establishing a motive." Jax explained. "The prosecution has the evidence needed to win this, you have to believe that."

"Ric is a master manipulator." Carly rebutted recalling her own experience with him. "He's all geared up to influence the jury into believing that Jerry did it, and he's already laying in the ground work."

"Forget Ric." Jason instructed. "The truth is that Claudia did this, and the jury is going to see that. Maybe I should take you home."

"No!" She objected. "Fine, I'll eat the sandwich."

"How's she doing?" Luke approached Bobbie as if Carly wasn't sitting right there.

"I'm fine." Carly insisted.

"Hey Natasha has a few tricks up her sleeves, I can tell just by looking at her." Luke offered his own comfort.

"I told you, I'm…" She tried to restate her insistence. "Okay, yeah, I'm terrified. If she gets off…"

"This trial is far from over, and it's not getting to a bad start." Luke assured her. "You didn't honestly expect John Zacchara to testify against her, did you?"

"No, and he said enough to provide the motive." She said reassuring herself.

"Which is all Alexis was looking for." Jax explained again.


	83. Chapter 83

Once court reconvened Alexis called her next witness. She asked Ms. Leslie Lu Spencer to approach the witness stand.

"Ms. Spencer, what is your relationship with the defendant?"

"There is no relationship, besides being the sister of my ex-boyfriend." Lulu answered.

"To clarify, that would be Mr. John Zacchara?"

"Correct."

"What was the duration of your relationship with Mr. Zacchara?"

"It was off and on from October of 2007 to April of 2009." She answered approximately.

"That's quite awhile." Alexis commented. "I am sure you had the opportunity to get to know Ms. Zacchara well?"

"Not really, just enough to know that she was super possessive of Johnny and would attack anyone who threatened their relationship."

"Did she ever threaten you?"

"Not so subtly." Lulu answered. "She was using intimidation from the first meeting."

"Please, tell us about that?" Alexis encouraged her.

"It was shortly after Sonny's girlfriend was shot, and Michael went missing. Johnny and I were supposed to go on a date. When he didn't show up I was concerned so I went to his place and ran into Claudia. It was creepy. She wouldn't tell me off the bat who she was; instead she prodded into my relationship with her brother."

"What happened from there?"

"When I didn't run from her bullying, she decided to use my father's relationship to Sonny Corinthos to her advantage, by getting me to ask him about Johnny's whereabouts."

"Did Mr. Corinthos say anything about knowing where he was?"

"Not directly." Lulu replied. "He indicated that Johnny would show up as soon as Michael did."

"Do you recall the next time you saw Mr. Zacchara?"

"It was the night the cannery exploded. I had heard that my cousin, Carly Jax." She said looking to Carly. "Was lost somewhere inside and I rushed down to the docks to find out what happened. Johnny found his way out and we had a brief reunion before he went back in to locate his sister."

"Did you see him later that night?"

"Yes. At the hospital. Claudia had been admitted due to injuries sustained from the wreckage. I went to her room and saw Johnny holding a gun to Sonny and beat him. He was enraged like I have never seen him before or since."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't that just days before the alleged treaty was formed between Mr. Zacchara and Mr. Corinthos?"

"Yeah, I believe so."

"Ms. Spencer, you indicated a tenuous relationship with Mr. Zacchara, what was the state of the relationship on April 4th?"

"After confronting Johnny about the incident at the hospital I broke it off with him. Shortly after he approached my father about investing in his casino. The night Michael was shot we were at the Haunted Star arguing about who was pursuing whom."

"Was there any reason for you to believe that either Mr. Zacchara or his sister had anything to do with the shooting?"

"I still loved Johnny, and didn't want to believe it. I even went so far as pulling my cousin from her son's bedside to appeal on the Zacchara's behalf. I didn't want Sonny to seek revenge." Lulu said with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sure Mr. Zacchara was grateful for your support."

"No." Lulu recalled. "He got angry at me, and told me to stay out of it. He acted guilty, and I just assumed that he blamed the business as a whole, but it was more than that. We tried making our relationship work, and had some good times, but after that night it just seemed like there was a barrier between us."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It felt like he wasn't good enough for me; there was a secret, and if I found out, I would never forgive him. That was what eventually tore us apart."

"Ms. Spencer, you just heard Mr. Zacchara testify to the fact that there was no communication about a planned attack against Mr. Corinthos, based on your own testimony, do you think he was lying?" Alexis asked.

"I can't testify to conversations between Johnny and Claudia in the privacy of their own home, but based on how protective of him she acted with me I have no doubt that Claudia was capable of plotting to avenge his being beaten and starved. I don't know if he was involved with the plot, but based on his attitude following I am sure he was in on the cover-up."

"Thank you, no further questions." Alexis ended her testimony.

Ric stood up for the cross examination.

"Ms. Spencer, can you tell me about a relationship with a Logan Hayes?"

"He was an ex-boyfriend we broke up the night I met Johnny."

"Did you make an attempt at a relationship with Mr. Hayes after that?" Ric pressed.

"I attempted, but realized that my heart was with Johnny."

"How did Mr. Hayes react to that?"

"He eventually got violent. So much so that he was killed in self defense." Lulu answered. She didn't want to say who killed him, because according to public record it was Johnny.

"Mr. Zacchara stood trial for his murder correct?"

"Objection your honor, relevance?" Alexis called.

"Counsel?" Judge Hackett asked Ric.

"I ask for some latitude, your honor, I promise I will get to the point quickly."

"Okay, overruled, but get to it." The judge granted.

"Was Mr. Zacchara charged with his murder?"

"Yes." Lulu answered.

"And while he was held he was able to escape custody by taking you hostage, correct?"

"Correct." She answered again as this was all public record.

"You ended up in Shady Brook following his escape, did you not?"

"I did."

"Did Mr. Zacchara feel guilty about that?"

"I assume so."

"So couldn't that be the mysterious strain that forced apart your relationship?" Ric question getting to the point of the inquiry.

"No."

"No? You mean you don't believe that Mr. Zacchara murdering your ex-boyfriend, taking you as hostage, and sending you to the psych ward would illicit the guilt and self contempt you described as the barrier between you?"

"It started before that." She defended herself.

"And yet following the events of April 4th you were together for another year?"

"That was the beginning of the end." She reiterated.

"No further questions your honor." Ric replied.

"Thank you Ms. Spencer." The judge addressed her. "That will be all for the day. Court will recommence tomorrow morning with the next witness from the prosecution."

***********

"Shouldn't you be in court?" Dante asked Johnny as he entered the garage.

"Nah, I had enough after perjuring myself." Johnny responded flipping through random paperwork. "And then Sonny had audacity to chastise me for admitting to the things he did to me that started this whole mess."

"I doubt I want to hear this." Dante commented. He had seen the darker side of his father, but not the extent that Johnny had described. What he had trouble with was the justification of forgiving Claudia after the way he had responded to her actions in the past.

"What did you need?" Johnny asked changing topics.

"I got a call from the informant. He wants to meet me here tomorrow afternoon to go over a few things that he says he can't talk about over the phone." Dante explained. "I wanted to know if the garage would be open at one."

"I guess." Johnny replied. "I'd like to meet this guy."

"He seems a little skittish. I think it's best that I take this one."

"Whatever you feel is best." Over the last couple weeks Johnny had grown to trust Dante more and more.

**********

"Carly, how about we go out to dinner?" Her mom suggested leaving the courthouse.

"Can I take a rain check?" Carly asked not feeling up to another evening out. "Right now all I want is to go home and be with the children."

"I understand that." Bobbie sympathized. "Just know that you have your family's complete support."

"I know, and if you see Lulu before I do, can you tell her I said thank you." Carly requested.

"I'm sure she'll be right out… But you really need to get going." She observed.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, go home and give your children a big hug, and get some good sleep tonight." Her mother advised.

"I will, once I locate my ride." She said looking around at the clumps of people until she noticed Jason in conversation with Spinelli and Sam. She didn't want to bother him, but had to get out.

"Barbara Jean, how is my dear friend?" A familiar accent caught her attention.

"Robert!" She greeted him with a hug. "I thought I saw you tucked away in the back. What brings you to Port Charles this time around?"

"Keeping your big brother out of trouble, what else? And I thought I would stick around and visit with my daughter for awhile. Speaking of which, how is yours?" He asked watching Carly hurry off.

"She's reliving the nightmare that left her son in a coma, and watching the man she hates spin the story to get the woman responsible off without so much as a hand slap." Bobbie answered.

"Spencer's are a hearty breed." He encouraged her. "So, I might have heard that you were out for dinner plans, would you care to catch up over a couple cold ones?"

"Why Robert, I believe you just asked me out on a date?" She grinned.

"Only if you accept." He responded.

"I would love to."


	84. Chapter 84

"No!" Echoed through the house as Carly jolted awake.

"Carly…" Jason wrapped his arms around her. "It was a dream."

"Mom?" Both Michael and Morgan entered her room to find her in Jason's embrace sobbing.

"Mom, what happened?" Michael asked.

"Come here." She cried, and transferred herself over to hug her eldest. Michael was sure the night before she told him 'I love you' about eight times and hugged him almost twenty. Only one day of trial down, and it was obvious it was getting to her.

"I love you, too." He responded with out her taking the prompt. "I'm here, and I'm fine."

As he was comforting her the baby monitor went off. Britni was awake and she sounded hungry.

"I'll go warm up a bottle." Morgan volunteered.

"Let me go with you." Michael responded as her grip loosened.

Jason waited for the boys to disappear down the hall before inquiring about the dream.

"I was there." She replied. "I was in the warehouse, but nobody could see or touch me. Michael had just asked Sonny to check out the equipment. I saw Sonny look up to see the riffle and dive down to protect Kate. I couldn't do anything except watch, and I saw Michael lying on the cement."

"Shhh…" Jason held her attempting to calm her down.

"I looked up afterwards and saw the shooter, only it wasn't Devlin."

"Claudia?" Jason assumed.

She nodded. "She had an evil grin, as if she knew what she did, and she knew she was going to get away with it."

"I know it's hard to trust twelve strangers with this, but trust me, trust your friends and your family who are there to support you, please!"  
"Okay." She conceded.

"Hey mom, I thought you might want the honors." Michael said cradling his sister, and transferring her over to Carly. Morgan handed over the bottle, and at least for the moment she was comforted as she was reminded of the good things that she did have.

***********

"Another extra long run? What's going on are you preparing for some kind of a marathon?" Dante asked Caitlyn as she finished getting dressed after a long warm shower.

"I've thought about it." She smiled. "No, I just got caught in a runner's high and decided to keep going."

"You know, we could try other things to elicit that same euphoria." Dante suggested. They had pretty much been starting and ending the day at her apartment since him finding out that Sonny was his father, but had yet to take that step in the relationship.

"We will, when it is right." She responded. "I have school this morning, and then was going to drop by the MetroCourt to work on some scheduling. I should be done by one if you would like to catch some lunch."

"Oh, sounds good, but I'm meeting a friend down at the garage at that time. I could treat you to the No Name tonight instead." Dante offered.

"Count me in, by the way, you would tell me if I sounded too desperate or dependant, right?"

"Cait, I don't think you could lean on somebody if your life depended on it." He assured her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Caitlyn asked not sure about the implication of her character.

"It's not a bad thing; it's just, okay, for example this secret that you are carrying. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure that your reason for keeping it has little to do with how you think I'll respond, and much more to do with the fact that you don't want me to see you vulnerable."

"Wow, so you are more than just a cute face." She teased. "You're partially right; as much as I loath the idea of showing weakness in front of anybody else it has more to do with fearing the weakness inside myself."

"I don't get it." He required more explanation.

"When I was a kid, I had a horrible phobia of sharks. I know a great fear when you live in Florida. In third grade we were taking a field trip to the local zoo and they were advertising a new aquarium exhibit with these stuffed shark statues. There was this one that really got to me; I think it was a mako, that I had to pass probably five different times, and I did, I held it in and tried to control it until the end of the day, right before we were leaving and I had to pass it one more time. I couldn't, and went into a full panic attack. The kids at school never even mentioned it happening, but I was so upset with myself for losing control."

"So you lose control, what's the worse that can happen?" He inquired.

"Are you honestly asking me that with what's going on with your brother's trial?"

"You are no Claudia Zacchara. I really doubt that anything would cause you to harm a child." He replied.

"You're probably right… my mom committed suicide." She answered instead.

He realized that her actual fear had been revealed. Whatever she was hanging onto she didn't want to confront for the fear of letting go once again. "I never met the woman, but based on what you've told me, you're nothing like your mother. You have strength and compassion for others that she couldn't possibly possess, and you have me in your corner. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"I'm working on believing that." She admitted.

"Caitlyn, I love…" He started before watching her tense up. "I love that sweater on you; it really brings out your eyes."

"Thank you." She smiled again. "We should probably get going."

"Yeah, we should."

**********

"There you are." Jax said stepping out of the bedroom to find Alexis on his couch looking through her files. "I thought you may have taken off again."

"No, I couldn't sleep." Alexis admitted. "I'm going to put your brother on the stand today."

"Good. The sooner we can do that, the sooner we can get him out of our lives forever." Jax said seriously. "You look worried."

"Ric is right, a lot of our case hinges on this. I can't make any mistakes."

"You won't." Jax assured her. "You thrive in that courtroom. I saw that much yesterday. You knew exactly what to ask, and what not to ask, and how to elicit a response from the jury."

"Ric is just as competent." She argued.

"Maybe if he would have gone to Yale, but since he went to Harvard…" Jax acted disgusted knowing exactly what to say to bring her competitive spirit back.

Alexis smiled. "Thank you for always knowing exactly what I need."

"Should we get some breakfast?"

"You go ahead. I need to get down to the courtroom right away."

"Okay." He said getting up to hold her before she rushed off. "Just remember that we have the truth on our side, it shouldn't be too hard to get the jury to believe that."

"I think Lulu's testimony helped." She admitted.

"I agree." He encouraged and waited for her to exit before getting ready to leave himself.

He walked over to the MetroCourt to get some breakfast at the Grille and found Bobbie and Robert enjoying each other's company at a table together. "Am I interrupting?" Jax asked them.

"No, have a seat." Bobbie encouraged. "Robert was just telling me about his last adventure through South Africa."

"Oh really?" Jax said impressed.

"Yeah, well, I'm in retirement now." Robert replied modestly. "Now it's all about recanting the thrilling heroics to my grandchildren."

"I think Emma is a little young yet." Bobbie responded.

"On the contrary, I was watching her the other day and she loved listening to my stories."

"I'm sure she loved listening to the sound of your voice." Bobbie clarified.

"I don't know, that little one is a smart cookie. I wouldn't be surprised is she was talking in full sentences soon. Speaking of which, how is your daughter doing?" Robert inquired.

"She's good. I wish I got to see her more often." Jax admitted.

"What do you mean?" Robert asked not realizing the split between him and Carly.

"I moved out at Carly's request."

"Did you know?" Robert asked Bobbie confused. He thought after spending a week with Spencer, his son, and the weird grasshopper person that he was caught up with the ins and outs of the Port Charles citizen's.

"Yes, I knew." She responded. She didn't want to say in front of Jax that she believed that her daughter was now involved with the person she was meant to be with.

"On that note, I should go upstairs to see if my brother is ready for his transport. I will catch up with you at the courthouse." Jax explained.


	85. Chapter 85

"You look happy." Olivia observed coming into Caitlyn's office.

"I just had a good session with a new client." Caitlyn explained.

"Oh, so Dante has nothing to do with that permagrin?"

"Maybe a little bit, but I didn't know if you would want to hear about that." She felt like they went somewhere real that morning; a place that she hadn't been able to go before, and yet she felt safe there. She thought that maybe that night she could work up the courage to really let him in.

"If Dante is half as happy as you appear to be I would be thrilled." Olivia responded. "I know that I promised to not put you in the middle, but I was hoping that you could give him a letter for me."

Olivia reached out an envelope. She couldn't handle the lack of contact anymore. There was so much she wanted to tell him and the night he and Johnny were landing the shipment she decided to write it all down. She had been struggling with whether or not to send it since.

"I suppose." Caitlyn said reaching for it. "Dante mentioned meeting a friend at the garage about the time I get off. Maybe I can catch up with him briefly before hand."

"No rush." Olivia responded. "I'm going to be heading over to the courthouse now."

***********

"What's taking so long?" Carly asked looking at her watch for the eighteenth time in five minutes.

"They should be letting us in soon." Jason responded. There was a hearing for another case using up the space for the morning. After getting Michael and Morgan off to school and settling Britni with the nanny Carly was anxious to get going.

"God, this thing isn't going to start until noon." She said impatiently.

"Hey cus." Lucky approached her with a hug noticing her going stir crazy. Sam, Lulu, and Matt joined them.

"Hi." She replied. "Lulu, thank you for yesterday. Sorry I took off so quickly."

"No problem, this can't be… I need to apologize for that night, Carly." Lulu responded.

"No you don't." Carly graciously dismissed it then turned to Lucky. "I heard you might be taking the stand later."

"Well, if this thing ever starts." He joked. "Alexis asked me to add testimony for the investigation."

"That's… that's good."

Jason rubbed her back as she stood hoping to provide some relief.

"Carly, are you feeling okay?" Matt asked commented on the circles under her eyes. The doctor in him was concerned.

"I'm fine." She gave the answer the Spencer's knew she would. "And I would be much better when that room opens up and we can get on with this."

"Soon." Alexis promised overhearing Carly's short fuse. "Until then there is beverages down the hall if you need anything."

"No, I'm sorry." She said and took a seat on the bench behind her and buried her face in her palms.

"What can I get you? Coffee?" Sam offered.

"Please." Jason answered for her.

Lucky sat down next to her in attempts to distract her. "Any ideas on what to get your mother for Christmas?"

Carly laughed at the obviousness of it, but went along anyway. "I was thinking about mostly doing gift cards this year; a day at the spa is always a good one. I don't know, how do I say thank you for everything she has done?"

"Finding her a boyfriend." Lulu teased.

"Apparently she's able to handle that one on her own." Lucky pointed out Bobbie walking in with Robert Scorpio.

"No way!" Carly objected as they finally saw her spirit back. "Nah uh, my mother is _not_ getting involved with Robin's father."

Both Lucky and Lulu laughed knowing the history between the women; even Jason chuckled at the possibility.

"I don't get it." Matt replied.

Before anyone could explain the bailiff opened the door allowing people to filter in and take their seats before trial could reconvene. Sam came by with the coffee which she brought in with her. The jury was already seated and the last to enter before the judge was called was Claudia and her counsel. Carly couldn't look at her without flashing back to her dream.

**********

"What's up?" Johnny asked Dante who was checking his cell phone.

"Text message from Mr. Corinthos." Dante answered. "He asked for my assistance on a project."

"Okay, but you have that meeting in an hour." Johnny reminded him.

"I should be back in time. If I'm not, just tell him that I'm on my way."

"Yeah, sure." Johnny replied. Since rescheduling all his appointments for the week because of the trial he was spending the day balancing the books.

**********

"Mr. Jax, you have signed a statement stating that you were approached in March of 2008 by Ms. Claudia Zacchara about the murder of Mr. Michael Corinthos Jr., is that correct?" Alexis asked a sworn in Jerry Jax.

"That is correct."

"What reason did Ms. Zacchara have in approaching you about such a thing?"

"She was eager to see Mr. Corinthos dead, and thought a partnership could be beneficial to both involved."

"What was she promising you?" Alexis asked.

"She mentioned a cash incentive, but the use of local loading docks was most appealing." Jerry explained.

"Not appealing enough, though?"

"No. Not appealing enough to be the person responsible for tearing my brother's world apart." As he said that he looked to both Jax and Carly, knowing that was exactly what happened regardless.

"How did your brother figure into this?" Alexis questioned.

"My brother was married to Mr. Corinthos' ex wife, and step father to his two boys. I knew that if it came out that I was responsible for his death that it would a drive a wedge between his family, because of that I refused to take the hit."

"So, you washed your hands of it, and walked away?" Alexis prodded.

"I wish that's what I would have done." Jerry appealed to the jury. "Instead I set Claudia up to deal with Dr. Ian Devlin. I knew that he had a shipment that he was eager to cash in on, and all he needed was the ports to do so."

"And when Claudia started communication with Dr. Devlin, did you continue your involvement?"

"I was let in on the conversations about when and where. Ms. Zacchara was proud of herself for getting her brother to agree to a treaty with Mr. Corinthos. After his girlfriend was shot, he was vulnerable, and the perceived safety left him wide open for an attack. Word got around that he was going to be personally handling a shipment coming in on the night of April 4th and that he would be doing so without guards.

"That night Dr. Devlin again asked me if I wanted to take the shot. He claimed that it was too easy, and didn't understand why I wouldn't want to cash in on it. Knowing that it was going to happen I looked into establishing my own alibi, and actually bumped into Ms. Zacchara when she working on hers at the MetroCourt. She assured me that everything was going to go smoothly, and all I needed to do was keep my mouth shut."

"What happened from there?"

"From there I found out that Mr. Corinthos' oldest son was going to be at the warehouse as well, and I attempted to contact Dr. Devlin who was unavailable by phone. Instead I attempted to drive over to the pier to stop him myself. I had an unfortunate run in that stopped me from doing so, and the next news I got was that my step nephew had been shot instead."

"Did you approach Ms. Zacchara after that?"

"She was less than pleased with the news, and appeared to display actual guilt, but the next step for her was dealing with the cover-up. She was invested in saving her own hide, and even attempted to convince Mr. Morgan that her father was the person responsible for setting up the attack." Jerry answered.


	86. Chapter 86

"Hey cutie, what are you doing here?" Johnny smiled at Caitlyn. "Don't tell me that your baby is acting up?"

"No, she's fine. I thought Dante was going to be here." She replied.

"He should be coming soon."

"Okay, um… I know he was meeting up with someone. Olivia just asked me to give this to him." She handed him the envelope.

"I'll make sure he gets it." Johnny said looking confused. "I don't know why she wouldn't have just given it to me in the first place."

"Probably because it's a personal matter and she doesn't want to mix that with your professional relationship."

"Let's be honest; the line between personal and professional around here is…"

"Non existent." Caitlyn finished. Between their boss being Dante's father and Johnny's brother-in-law, and Johnny dating Dante's mother the lines had been severely crossed.

Discussion was halted when they heard three gunshots go off. Within moments two men wearing ski masks, carrying assault riffles barreled through the doors. Johnny met gazes with one of them before he signaled his partner to rush out with him. It happened so quickly that he hadn't the time to react.

"Caity." He looked to the girl whose face went pale. Johnny got up to catch her as she collapsed into his arms. "Caity, look at me!" He said resting her in his lap, pillowing her head with his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. He felt the warmth pouring from her lower back and looked down to see his hand covered in blood.

"I guess…" She said grimacing. "This makes me… officially…" Her speech was broken up as she struggled to breathe. "A Port Charles citizen."

Johnny smiled at the remark. "The right to vote and everything. You're going to be okay. Just focus on breathing."

He reached up to the desk above him to grab his phone and dial 9-1-1 to report the shooting and demand an ambulance immediately.

"They will be here soon." He assured her, shaking himself as he attempted to apply pressure. "Just hang on."

"Dante… tell them…" She said still trembling.

"Who?"

"If anything… leave it to him…" Caitlyn managed to get out as the sirens drew near. The EMTs were the first to arrive on the scene followed shortly by the cops outside securing the crime scene. She was pulled from his grasp barely conscious to bandage the wound before transferring her to the stretcher. They had loaded her onto the van when officer Harper stopped Johnny to ask questions.

"Did you see them?" He asked an emotional Johnny.

"Not their faces."

"How many?" The officer asked.

"Two. I can't, not now." He responded knowing his lawyer would be angry with him saying that much.

The next to arrive was Dante who was left with a sick feeling as soon as he saw the flashing lights surrounding the building. It was intensified by the sight of his girlfriend's car followed by the glimpse of Johnny covered in Caitlyn's blood.

"Go." Johnny signaled him to the van.

"What happened?" Dante cried.

"I'll be right behind you." Johnny answered.

**********

"Mr. Jax, what was your business in Port Charles in the early months of 2008?" Ric asked beginning his cross examination.

"I was visiting family." Jerry answered. "I was also looking into projects."

"What specifically were these projects?" Ric asked.

"My brother and I were negotiating a business together."

Realizing that line of questioning was not getting him anywhere he redirected the focus. "Mr. Jax, in your testimony you mentioned knowledge of a shipment that Dr. Ian Devlin was looking to land and fixing up the connection between him and my client. What was your interest in that landing?"

"That shipment was going to be profitable for me as well as the doctor."

"Can you estimate the profit value?"

"Ten million was put into purchasing the cargo; you can probably imagine the profit margin."

"Did you view Mr. Corinthos as an obstacle?"

"Not anymore than John Zacchara was." Jerry redirected.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Mr. Zacchara had tampered with a previous shipment prior to the 'treaty' between the families. My wallet took a hit, but I did not seek retribution for it." He answered knowing that Ric was looking to establish a motive for him.

"Could you have benefitted from Mr. Corinthos' death?"

As the question was asked an officer from the PCPD entered the courtroom. "I'm sorry, your Honor, but I need to speak with Commissioner Scorpio."

Mac looked back at him, and then to the judge who invited him to find out what was going on. He met the officer in the back as all ears were peered. "Commissioner, there was a shooting at the fourth street garage."

"What? Was anybody hurt?"

"One injured. No information yet on who or how badly. An ambulance was called to transfer to General Hospital."

Claudia looked to her husband; her eyes brimmed with tears. "Johnny?"

On the other side of the room Olivia voiced the fear that it could have been Dante.

"Your Honor, the defense requests a recess." Ric asked.  
"The prosecution confers." Alexis stated.

"Court is dismissed until tomorrow morning." She struck the gavel. The courtroom emptied quickly as doctors rushed to the hospital.

"I'm going down to the station." Lucky told Sam, kissing her before taking off.

"Liv, if you want me to go with you…" Carly offered.

"No, go home and take care of yourself."

"But…"

"I'll let you know." Olivia promised.

"I'm not going anywhere until I hear from my brother!" Claudia shouted as the officer's came to detail her.

"Claudia," Sonny held her to calm her. "I'm going to General Hospital right now. I promise I will let you know as soon as I find out."

"Okay." She cried, and placed her hands behind her back.

After Claudia was taken off Sonny offered a spot in this limousine for Olivia, and Ric requested to tag along. They arrived at the hospital; Olivia was the first to spot Johnny sitting on a bench outside the nurses station bent over with the heels of his hands covering his eyes.

"Have you been hurt?" Sonny asked noticing the blood stained clothes. Upon their entrance he stood up and shook his head no. Olivia walked into his open arms.

"Was it Dante?" Her voice crackled.

"No." He managed to choke out still holding her close. "Caitlyn was just taken into surgery to remove the bullet."

"Oh my God." Olivia responded realizing that she was the reason Caitlyn was there in the first place.

Sonny recalled the conversation with Dante after church regarding his new girlfriend and turned to Ric. "Can you go down to the station and let Claudia know?"

"I can't explain why, but I really need to know how this surgery goes." Ric argued causing Sonny to look at him questioningly.

"It's okay, I'll go." Johnny volunteered. "She'd rather see me, plus there's another stop I need to make afterwards."

"Okay, but can you do your sister a favor and change first?" Sonny requested. The image was haunting and it was the last thing Claudia needed to see. Johnny stared back with his eyes glazed over. He didn't say anything else, just squeezed Olivia's hand one more time before walking towards the elevators.

***********

"I still can't believe you are not the least bit interested in knowing what is going on at that trial." Alyssa commented to Michael as they sipped on sodas at Kelly's.

"After what it's doing to my mom I'm even more convinced that I want it over now." He responded.

"What happened to your mom?"

"She's having problems sleeping, and this morning she woke up the house with her nightmares. She's reliving losing me all over again, and I don't know how to assure her that I'm fine."

"What are you doing here, young lady?" Lieutenant Johnson yelled hovering over Michael.

"I'm talking to a friend, dad. It's a public place, I'm pretty sure it's safe."

"I told you, you are to have nothing to do with the Corinthos boy." He seethed.

"Dad, that's not fair, I love Michael…"

"You're seventeen, you don't know what love is."

"You don't know that." She argued.

"You want to know what I do know? A young woman was shot in broad daylight today because she was involved with one of Corinthos' foot soldiers. So don't try to tell me that you're safe anywhere near this boy. We're going home!" He instructed.

Michael sat at the table stunned. "What girl?" He asked.

The Lieutenant ignored the question as he pulled his daughter away.


	87. Chapter 87

"Carly, can you please just sit down?" Jason requested watching her pace back and forth between the kitchen and living room waiting for the phone to ring.

"I need to know before Morgan gets home." She explained.

"Okay, but why?"

"Morgan is attached to Dante." Carly explained not wanting to reveal the brother link before being told it was alright.

"I get that he looks up to him, and was around when Michael couldn't after waking up." Jason sympathized. "When we find out, we will deal with it. Right now I'm more worried about you."

"I'm not going to have a stroke."

"That's good, but I'm more concerned about you making yourself sick by running yourself into the ground. Carly, you need to eat something, and sleep."

"I'm trying." She said and sat down next to him.

"Lay down." He instructed and stretched out on the couch himself allowing her to rest her head on his chest. "I love you. It kills me that you're hurting and there's nothing I can do about it." He whispered to her.

"You're here. It helps." She told him.

"Does it?" He asked feeling like all he was doing was watching her fall.

"Yes."

"Don't forget what you do have. Michael is fine; Morgan is great, and then Britni. Forget the jury, whatever they decide it does not matter. You are my family, and I am not going to let anyone touch you." He assured her.

"Mom, are you here?" Michael asked coming into the living room.

"We're over here." Jason announced.

"Did you hear about the shooting?"

"Only that it happened at the garage, and someone was injured. Why? What did you hear?" Jason questioned him.

"I think it was Caitlyn. Alyssa's dad caught us together. He said that a girl was shot; someone involved with one of dad's employee's. I think it was Dante's girlfriend."

**********

"Dante." Olivia approached her son who had somehow snuck past security to peer inside Caitlyn's operating room. "I'm sorry."

His gaze stayed in the room as tears poured silently from his eyes. "It was meant for me." He uttered.

"We should probably get out of here before someone catches us and throws you out." She suggested. Unable to argue he followed her into the waiting room where Sonny and Ric were seated.

"How did it happen?" Sonny asked calmly unable to get that information from Johnny before he left.

Dante shook his head; the last person he wanted to see right then was his father.

"Do you have any idea who did this?"

"You did, I did, I don't know." He responded incoherently to Sonny. "I mean that's the curse, right? Everyone around you gets hurt while you stand back and watch!" He said as his anger built.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sonny replied.

"Really? Lily, Brenda, Carly, Reese, Emily, Kate… is there anyone that you've touched that you haven't hurt?"

"Dante, come on." Olivia tried to get him to stop.

"Tell me it isn't true? Tell me that this isn't what being a Corinthos is all about! Come on, tell me?!" He shouted.

"What?" Sonny looked to Olivia for clarification.

"Oh come on dad, don't tell me that you haven't been able to figure out the math in all of this? Oh wait, that's right. You dropped out of school. You dropped out to pave the way for this, congratulations! How many people have you sent to the morgue or the looney bin all to feed your incessant need to make up for whatever it is you feel you are lacking?" Dante screamed then walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Olivia, what is he talking about?" Sonny asked realizing Dante was too far gone to reason with, or get any logical answers from.

"Well, he does have his father's temper." She replied.

"You mean?"

"Yeah." She answered. "Dante is your son. I'm sorry, I should have said something, but I had no idea he would go off like that."

"For twenty five years you keep my son from me, and this is how I find out?!"

"I did it to protect him. Your son had a great childhood where he didn't have to worry about dodging bullets." Olivia explained.

"Oh that's… that's just rich. I would have given him anything, and you know that!" Sonny argued.

"No it's always been about you; your life, your power. I don't doubt you would have loved him, but not enough to change the path your life was taking. So I did what I knew was right."

"How long has he known?" Sonny questioned.

"Does it matter?"

"How long?!"

"About a week. He felt that if it became public he would be targeted. It was his decision not to say anything."

"Obviously that information got leaked out somewhere." Ric threw in his commentary.

"Tell me again why it is you're still here?" Olivia challenged.

"Apparently providing support to my nephew." Ric quipped.

"The last time Caitlyn saw you she darted away like she had just seen a ghost." Olivia responded ignoring his remark.

"And with the information she has I don't blame her." Ric responded.

**********

"My son, it's been too long."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth." Johnny replied callously to his father.

"You have to know it was all for you." Anthony responded.

"Your men shot an innocent girl!" Johnny screamed at him.

"There's no such thing as an innocent…"

"Great way to excuse yourself from murdering my mother."

"John…"

"Shut up! You must be really happy here; in this cushy little place where the outside world believes you to be contained and the lowlifes inside bow down to the great and powerful Anthony Zacchara. You think your people are loyal? I got news for ya; you don't know what loyalty is. You may have been able to intimidate some, but they would just as well spit on your grave. Let me warn you, old man, sleep with one eye open, 'cause if I find out she's not going to pull through, you're not going to make it to the weekend."

Anthony snickered, impressed with his son's conviction. "Does Mr. Falconeri know you have a thing for his girl?"

"Go to hell." Johnny got up and left.

**********

"Dante?" The brown haired boy ran to him in the chapel. "I thought you might be here."

"The question is what are you doing here?" Dante asked Morgan.

"I begged my mom to bring me. Michael heard your girlfriend was hurt, and I thought that if you needed to talk…" Morgan offered.

"Come here." Dante told him and wrapped his arms around the boy. "I suppose you have some experience with this."

"Mom tried to protect me from it as much as she could." Morgan explained. "But it's not hard to pick up on the fact that something is wrong when everyone is crying when they think you're not in the room."

"It doesn't hurt that you're a perceptive kid."

"Do you love her?" Morgan asked noticing the pain he was in.

Dante nodded. "Yeah, I just chickened out on my chance to tell her."

"Is she…?"

"She's in surgery now. Although it should be done pretty quick." Dante checked his watch not releasing the time that had elapsed.

"I can go with you." Morgan offered.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea Morgan. Where is your ma anyway?"

"She let Michael bring me." He explained cocking his head towards to chapel entrance where Michael was standing.

"If it would be possible, I'd like to see Caitlyn once she's in recovery." Michael explained. He had only met her once, but he liked her and he knew that she didn't have much of a family of her own there.

"I can't guarantee anything." Dante responded.

"We're not looking for a guarantee." Michael replied.

"Just to help." Morgan added.

**********

"Why don't you just go? I've been taking care of Dante since he was born." Olivia requested feeling the negative energy illuminating from Sonny.

"Only because you didn't give me the choice to be a father to my son." Sonny retorted.

"Could you have given it up? Would you have told Joe Scully to shove it in the you-know-where to be a father to your son?" She questioned knowing it was the only way she would have let him go near Dante.

"I guess we'll never know."

"That's a bunch of crock, and you know it." Johnny said coming into the conversation.

"And what would you know?" Sonny questioned him.

"Oh, I don't know, you seem to be caught up." Johnny answered. "Although for your son's sake, you might want to tone the hostility down a little bit. Don't you think he has enough to deal with?"

"What are you talking about?" Michael said coming into the room first, followed by Morgan and Dante.

"Michael…" Sonny started.

"No, what did he mean by your son?" Michael asked his dad figuring they weren't talking about either him or Morgan.

"Am I interrupting something?" Monica Quartermaine asked entering what seemed to be the war zone.

"No, please, how is she doing?" Dante asked.

"We were successful in removing all shards of the bullet. The right kidney took on the direct impact; unfortunately that was irreparable." Monica explained.

"Okay, but you can survive with one kidney." Dante countered.

"One fully functioning kidney, yes. She lost a lot of blood, and I am concerned on the toll that took on the remaining kidney."

"What are you saying? Do you think she's going into failure?" Olivia pressed.

"It's a possibility." Monica answered. "I have put her on the transplant list in case, but the best option is a live family donor."

"She doesn't have any family." Dante rebutted.

"Like I said, that's the best case scenario, anybody can be tested, and I'm still holding out hope that it may not needed. If she does go into failure, there is always the option of dialysis until we can find a suitable donor."

"But she's going to be okay?" Johnny asked.

"She'll survive." Monica answered. "Although I'd like to keep the visitors down to a minimum tonight, and whatever is happening in here needs to stay out of the recovery room."

"Not a problem." Olivia responded. When Monica left, Olivia urged her son to stay with Caitlyn while sending everyone else home.


	88. Chapter 88

"You look exhausted counsel." Alexis commented to Ric as he was sipping on coffee outside the courtroom. Again the lobby was beginning to fill up waiting for the door to open.

"It was a long night." Ric explained.

"I heard that you stayed at the hospital." Alexis replied.

"Yeah, well, that was only half of it."

"What does that mean?"

"I suppose it's going to be public knowledge soon enough…"

"Ric, Claudia was asking for you." Sonny interrupted.

"I should…" Ric pointed towards the exit.

"Has he been acting peculiar to you?" Alexis asked Sonny when Ric was out of site.

"I haven't really noticed." Sonny replied having enough on his plate with a wife facing murder charges and a long-lost son blaming him for his girlfriend getting shot.

"I wasn't able to question Johnny yet, do you know which of your enemies was responsible for the shooting?" She questioned instead.

"You know I can't answer that." Sonny replied.

"Forget that I'm the district attorney. Is your daughter at risk Sonny?"

"Honestly, I haven't heard the whole story yet, but if I need to put more guards on her I won't hesitate in doing so." Sonny explained. Luckily to this point he was able to be inconspicuous about the guards placed on his daughter, especially when she was at Madison.

***********

"Carly, you can't donate." Monica told her.

"And you really shouldn't either." Bobbie said to Lucky.

"Why not?" Both Spencer cousins asked simultaneously.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lulu said to her brother. "In order to donate you kind of have to be able to take pain killers."

"And your organs were threatened after your stroke. In addition with the treatments a lot of stress was already placed on the kidneys." Monica explained.

"Are you sure she's going to need…?" Sam asked. It seemed like the aftermath of the garage shooting was the only thing being discussed in the lobby.

"No, at this point the testing is just precautionary." Monica answered.

"I've met her; she's a sweet girl." Lulu commented.

"That's what Michael was saying." Jason added feeling his own brand of guilt knowing that his leaving the organization opened up this opportunity for the attack.

"I can't imagine what Dante is going through." Matt sympathized. "If anything would have happened to you that night…"

"What night?" Lucky asked defensively to Lulu.

"It's nothing." Lulu responded jabbing Matt in the ribs with her elbow. "How's Michael doing with all of this?"

"I'm surprised we haven't seen him." Monica commented.

"He doesn't want anything to do with this." Carly answered. "And he's still reeling from yesterday."

"I didn't realize they were so close to her." Bobbie assumed.

"No, it's not that, I mean, not really. He's experiencing some girl trouble of his own." Carly explained.

"Oh? I thought him and Alyssa were so cute together." Sam remarked.

"They were sneaking the relationship behind her parents' backs. Her father caught them together at Kelly's yesterday, and after the shooting Michael is sure she's going to be grounded until graduation."

"As a father and a cop I kind of understand." Lucky added.

"Lucky!" Carly felt betrayed by the comment.

"He's my cousin, I want him to be happy, and I am sure that this is going to blow up in the Lieutenant's face." Lucky explained. "Accidents happen all the time, but it would kill me if anything happened to Cameron or Jake because they knew the wrong person."

"It's not always easy to know who the wrong person is." Jason defended Michael.

"I agree, it's not like I have any reason to judge." Lucky defended himself. "Look at my father, and my brother's entire family."

"It looks like they are opening the doors." Bobbie shifted the focus and prompted them to go inside. As soon as the judge called for the proceedings to continue Ric called Jerry back to the stand for his cross examination.

"Mr. Jax, could you benefit from Mr. Corinthos' death?" Ric picked up where he left off.

"I don't know." Jerry answered. "Yes, I would have benefitted from an available loading dock, but there was no guarantee that with Mr. Corinthos dead that one would open up, and from this experience I am even less convinced of Ms. Zacchara's follow through."

"With the information you have on my client, why didn't you turn her in earlier?" Ric asked.

"For the same reason I didn't want to go through with the shot in the first place. It had the potential of hurting the people I care about even more."

"You were okay with the person you say was responsible for your nephew getting shot being free? And you thought your sister-in-law would be better off?" Ric argued.

"I never thought Carly would agree."

"No, you were saving yourself." Ric answered for him.

"In a matter of speaking, yes."

"No further questions your Honor." Ric released him aware of the fact that getting him to say anymore could just be that much more detrimental to the case.

***********

"Your next witness." The judge said to Alexis.

"I'd like to call Detective Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Jr." She called for Lucky.

Lucky made his way to the stand hopeful to provide the testimony necessary to seal the case for the prosecution. He wasn't comfortable with the case hinging on Jerry Jax since he knew first hand what Jerry was capable of.

"Detective Spencer you were in charge of the investigation of this shooting, correct?"

"I was approached by the commissioner to lead this investigation." He confirmed. "Which I gladly took on."

"Was Ms. Zacchara on your list of initial suspects?" Alexis asked.

"Yes, the entire Zacchara family was, but there was no evidence against them as both Zacchara siblings had alibis for the night in question, and Mr. Corinthos was less than helpful in the efforts of the PCPD."

"At what point did Dr. Ian Devlin rise to the top of the suspects list?"

"About the time he held the police commissioner's daughter up at knifepoint." Lucky answered.

"And at that time you closed the investigation of the shooting?"

"We searched through Dr. Devlin's effects to find any link to an accomplice. At that time Mr. Morgan refused to tell us Devlin's famous last words, 'there's more.' Unfortunately we had no reason to keep the file open."

"What sparked the current investigation of Ms. Zacchara?" Alexis asked.

"A DVD was brought to the commissioner. Mr. Jax had sent it to his sister-in-law detailing both his and Ms. Zacchara's involvement. A warrant was issued for Mr. Jax in hopes to get him to testify to his claim that Ms. Zacchara hired Ian Devlin to take the shot."

"With Ms. Zacchara specifically under suspicion was it possible to find any tangible proof of her relationship with Dr. Devlin?"

"Yes. With the help of a private investigator I was able to reexamine the effects of the doctor at the time of his death. Greater attention was placed to the address book he was carrying on him." He explained.

"Your honor, I would like to enter exhibit A." She said handing over the black book.

"It was assumed that his business contacts were placed in this record under their initials. The investigation turned up short when no contacts were placed under the 'Zs'"

"Does that mean that Ms. Zacchara's is not in that book?"

"No, it came to my attention that Ms. Zacchara went under a different alias when she was living in Milan for her business associates. Her business card was found in his possession. The name on the card was translated to the Red Shoe, or la Scarpa Rossa. Under SR in the address book is the cell phone number of the current Mrs. Corinthos."

"I would like to enter exhibit B & C. The first is the business card in question, and the second is a cell phone record with her number. The address book is opened to that page." Alexis explained.

"Noted Ms. Davis, please continue." The judge urged.

"Detective Spencer, I noticed some numbers on the back of this business card, can you read them for me?"

"4-4-0-8-9-3-0-5-2." Lucky read the numbers.

"And being a trained detective that you are, do you believe these numbers to have any specific meaning."

"Absolutely." Lucky responded. "Those numbers represent the order to shoot Mr. Corinthos."

"How do you figure?"

"4-4-08, was the date of the shipment. 9:30 was the time the landing should be taking place. And 52 was the pier where the shooter sat waiting." Lucky replied smugly.

"Thank you detective, no further questions." Alexis finished.

"Detective, were you aware that my client has stipulated that she had worked with Dr. Ian Devlin three years ago while living in Milan?"

"No I was not, however the phone number in his address book was a current New York number; she had not lived in New York since she was sixteen-years-old." Lucky rebutted.

"Her family house was on an Island outside of Manhattan." Ric argued. "Wouldn't it be logical to assume she had a number to communicate with her relatives?"

"I can't speculate on the communication methods between the Zacchara's."

"Granted, I'd like to summit some evidence, detective what is the date on this phone bill?" Ric asked handing Lucky a piece of paper.

"May 16th, 2001." Lucky answered.

"And what is the phone number listed?"

"The same number found in Dr. Devlin's personal effects."

"Thank you." Ric smirked towards the jury. "You ordered an expert to examine the hand writing on the business card, correct?"

"Yes."

"What did this expert find?"

"The hand writing matched that of Ian Devlin."

"So anyone could have given him the information that he wrote down on that card?"

"It's no coincidence that it was Ms. Zacchara's business card." Lucky argued.

"Were there any prints found on that card indicating that Ms. Zacchara was the one that handed it over to Dr. Devlin?"

"No, there were not."

"It could just be someone trying to pass the blame onto my client. Was Jerry Jax ever a suspect in the investigation of the shooting on April 4th?"

"No. He was with the district attorney at the time she found out about the attack, and vouched for his innocence."

"But you just testified to the fact that he was arrested for confessing to his part in this crime under the condition that he gave up my client. Why wouldn't he testify to the fact that Ms. Zacchara did it?"

"Why would he send a DVD implicating Claudia if he had gotten away with what it is you are accusing him of?" Lucky addressed the jury himself. "His story has not changed from the DVD, to his statement at the PCPD, to the testimony he gave right here in this very room."

"One last question, what is your opinion of Jerry Jax?" Ric asked.

"I think he's an opportunist, but he's also more calculating than either the person that set up that hit or the one that pulled the trigger." Lucky responded closing Ric's cross examination.


	89. Chapter 89

"Are you sure that I haven't died and gone to heaven?" Caitlyn questioned as two of the most gorgeous men in a city of attractive people sat by her bedside; both of Italian origin.

"Don't even joke about that." Dante replied.

"You heard Dr. Quartermaine; I'm going to be fine." She assured him.

"Funny 'cause I'm sure I heard her say that you may need a kidney transplant." Dante argued.

"Don't worry about it." Johnny glared over to Dante. "We have a whole town getting tested for you."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes at what was supposed to be encouragement. "Has anyone ever told you that I'm really bad at accepting help?"

"Yeah, I think we both got the memo." Dante snickered.

"With any luck it won't be needed. I'm feeling fine. I mean not so much with the running a marathon, but definitely on the mend." She said in attempts to convince them.

"There's color in your cheeks, that's a start." Dante observed.

"Alright, I have to ask, don't you two have anything better to do today then sit by my bedside as I zone in and out of consciousness?"

"I don't, do you?" Dante asked Johnny.

Johnny shook his head. He was through with court after the first day, his garage was still taped off, and Bernie was handling all business issues.

"Isn't your sister up for murder charges?"

"Aren't you the one that told me it was okay to be selfish and allow her to fall on her own?" Johnny countered. "Besides she has an overpriced attorney and a devoted husband to look out for her."  
"And it should be wrapping up for the day." Dante said looking up at the wall clock.

"Oh good, then maybe Olivia will stop by." She smiled hoping some good could come out of her being shot. "Did you ever get that letter?"

"No, what letter?"

"It's still on my desk, your mom sent it." Johnny explained.

"Don't get mad at her. It was my idea to bring it over when I did." Caitlyn explained suddenly realizing the conflict it could cause.

Dante shook his head. He was wondering what she was doing at the garage in the middle of the afternoon.

"I suppose I kind of ruined our big date, huh?"

"I will admit. I would have much rather spent the evening with you in a nice Italian restaurant versus yelling at my father."  
"Did you tell him?" She inquired.

"He got the message."

"Why am I not picturing a Full House family moment complete with the big group hug at the end?"

"Because in this version little Michelle Tanner gets shot in the head." Dante explained.

A knock was heard at the door shortly followed by Ric peaking his head in.

"Oh look, it's uncle Jesse." Dante kidded.

"What did you need Ric?" Johnny asked not amused.

"I wanted to introduce you to someone." Ric ignored the men's comments and directed his focus on Caitlyn.

"It's getting crowded in here." Dante answered for her.

"Please?" Ric appealed to her.

Sensing Caitlyn's curiosity Johnny took the bait. "I was just going to go to the café. Did anyone want anything?"

"No, thank you." She offered graciously. The looked back to Ric wondering what his angle was. "Please, bring them in."

A man walked in, around 30-years-old with dark brown hair and matching eyes; a pronounced jaw line. As she saw him her eyes widened in disbelief, now this couldn't be real, she had to be either dead or unconscious.

"You're dead." She responded.

Dante looked to her questioningly wondering if it was a long lost boyfriend or something.

The man smiled and responded. "Actually by the looks of things you're a lot closer to that prognosis."

"This isn't real." She responded.

"Who is this guy?" Dante asked.

"My brother." She answered.

"You've never mentioned anything about a brother." He recalled.

"My mom seduced her therapist." Caitlyn explained.

"Dr. Cameron Lewis." Zander added.

"I don't get it. I've seen the police report; I've visited your grave." She replied.

"Yeah, that's kind of creepy, isn't it?" Zander teased. "I was in a lot of trouble. A suspect for the murder of a cop, and working for a local mob queen. My marriage was over, and the mother of my child asked me to give my rights. Ric approached me about an out, and I decided to take it."

"Fake your own death and start over?" Caitlyn guessed. "But you were shot multiple times and died in your wives arms… a med student at that."

"They were blanks; she was highly emotional." He explained. Amongst conversation Ric slipped out of the room.

"You have a child?" She asked as the explanation caught up with her.

"I take it that wasn't in the police report?" He figured.

She shook her head no.

Dante sat listening letting her process the answers she needed and ready to cut in with any sign of distress.

"I had a one-night-stand with Elizabeth Webber."

"Cameron." She realized just about in tears. "He's my nephew?"

"Apparently, I just found out last night that I had a boy." Zander answered. When he answered the phone it was the first time in about six years that he had heard from anyone in Port Charles.

"Excuse me." A nurse said coming into the room. "I'm sorry, but the doctor has ordered some more tests."

"Now?!" Caitlyn asked still demanding more answered.

"In about ten minutes." The nurse replied.

"You know, I should really get tested myself." Zander excused himself. "I don't want to meet and lose my sister all in the same week."

"Will you be back?" She asked still shaken.

"I'm not going anywhere." He assured her.


	90. Chapter 90

"It will be one moment before I take that blood sample from you." A nurse yelled in to the examination room.

"Take your time." Zander responded knowing the hospital staff had a crazy load on their plate. He never thought he would see the day that he would once again grace the halls of General Hospital. That life was gone, but not forgotten. The hospital itself had a major face lift after being rebuilt, but there was a familiarity about it as if Emily would be popping her head in at any moment. Unfortunately with the influx of information from the night prior was the news that Emily was gone.

"Mr. Smith?" The nurse questioned looking down at the clipboard in front of her.

"Elizabeth?" Zander responded.

Recognizing the voice she lifted her gaze. The blood rushed from her head as she stared in shock and he jumped up from the chair and grabbed her before she hit the ground.

"Some help in here?!" He called out into the hallway and the focused on reviving her. "Come on Liz, you're okay."  
"What did you do to her?" Dr. Quartermaine asked the man that was hunched over Nurse Webber.

"I didn't do anything." He said looking up to see his former mother-in-law.

"Oh my God!" She replied flipping through the possibilities in her mind. It wasn't as if a long-lost-twin or unknown double had never popped up in Port Charles before.

"Monica, I can explain."

Elizabeth groaned as she regained consciousness. As she opened her eyes she jumped and scooted away.

"Zander, is that you?" Monica asked still not dismissing the twin theory.

"Yes it's me." He confirmed. "And no, I haven't been frozen or anything."  
"Then how?" Liz questioned as she tried to blink his image out of her mind hoping that the double she had pulled wasn't getting to her.

"Ric Lansing helped me fake my death." He replied. "It was for you, Liz. He felt bad about what happened to your marriage, and then even after getting Alexis pregnant you were willing to give him another chance. He knew that you weren't comfortable with me being the father of your child, and with the mess that my life was it seemed like the best solution for everyone."

"Not that I'm not happy to see you alive and well, but what brought you back now?" Monica asked listening to the story.

"Your patient. The one possibly needing a kidney transplant. I very recently found out that my father had a secret liaison when I was young producing a half-sister."

"I'm so sorry." Liz responded sympathetically.

"No, I'm not. It's kind of nice. I haven't had a sibling since Peter died… and I don't want to lose her, so do you think we could possibly do the catching up once the blood has been brought to the lab?" He replied not wanting to sound like a complete jerk.

"Yeah, of course." Liz stood up as he sat back on the examination chair extending his arm out. She took a deep breath focusing on not making any mistakes feeling herself still shaking. Luckily for her his veins stuck out noticeably making it easy to get the sample. "Where have you been?" She asked after handing the vile over to Monica who promised to take it down to the lab for her.

"Colorado Springs. I had always wanted to trek out west. It's beautiful, the weather is great, and the skiing is incomparable."

"I didn't realize you were a skier." Liz commented.

"Out there everyone is." He smiled. "Besides it's a good hobby to keep me out of trouble."

"And that's what been doing since you died?"

"Mostly, would you believe I finished my GED and got a bachelor's degree in Information Technology?"

"Emily always thought you had that potential. Are you going back? I mean after Caitlyn's health crisis has been resolved?"

"Probably, I don't even know that Caitlyn wants me for a brother and from what I understand Lucky is the only father Cameron has ever known… I wouldn't want to impede on that."

"Zan…"

"I made that decision when I took Ric's offer. Alexander Lewis, Cameron's biological father, is dead."

"No." Liz replied. "The man that shares my son's DNA; that loved him so much to give him up and turn his life around is standing right in front of me."

"I'm actually sitting." He smirked.

Liz shook her head and gave him a playful slap.

"Hey, watch it! You just stabbed me in that arm." He teased.

**********

"Who was the mystery guest?" Johnny asked Dante as they sat outside the café. Johnny had seen him on the way out but didn't recognize the guy.

"A long lost brother." Dante answered.

"Oh, well that's interesting. Who is he?"

"You know, I didn't actually catch a name. His dad was Cameron something." Dante remembered because it was the same as the little boy's.

"Cameron Lewis?" Michael asked coming into the conversation.

"Yeah, that was it." Dante responded. "Since when is this the after school hang out?"

"I went to get myself tested. I doubt my mom would let me donate a kidney, but I had to try." He confessed. "Why are we discussing Dr. Lewis?"

"You knew him?"

"Barely. He had a thing going with Krissy's mom before dying in the Port Charles hotel fire. God, that had to be like six or seven years ago. His son I knew a lot better. He worked for my dad and was close with my mom; married to my Godmother briefly."

"His son is back in town." Dante told him.

"That's not possible. Zander died not much after his father did in a police shoot out."

"Really?" Johnny asked intrigued.

"Emily left him for Nikolas Cassadine." Michael started to explain the best he could remember for being so young at the time. "He was spiraling out of control and followed her to a church where he hoped to persuade her back to him. When she refused her threatened her, or something. The PCPD got word and surrounded the building. She was able to talk him into surrendering but when he walked out he acted as if he was going to reach for something and Ric, the district attorney at the time, ordered the cops to open fire. It was found out later that there was nothing on him."

"It was a set up." Dante responded. "This Zander guy was looking for an out, and Ric helped him take it."

"That explains why Caitlyn reacted so harshly to meeting Ric." Johnny stated. Olivia had told him about them meeting in the hotel lobby. "She blamed him for her brother's death."

"Whoa what? Caitlyn is…? I thought she looked familiar." Michael went through the process of fitting it together.

"What's your take on this Zander character?" Dante asked feeling the need to protect his girlfriend.

"He was always decent to me. Generally a nice guy; he had the tendency to be impulsive and hot headed, but then again he was only like 24 when he was assumed dead."

"Does it matter?" Johnny asked. "You gotta figure the reason he is here is to donate the kidney if it's required, right?"

"Dr. Quartermaine did say her best shot was a live family donor." Dante responded.

"Wow, does that mean Ric actually did something good for a change?" Michael questioned in disbelief.

"You're really not close to your uncle, huh?" Johnny snickered. Dante had picked up on that and was intrigued to know the reason why.

"No, not since I was traumatized by him grabbing my pregnant mother right in front of me." Michael explained. "Talk about somebody doing something crazy when they thought their world was closing in on them."

"I think I could have gone my whole life without knowing that." Dante said looking to Johnny who had the 'welcome to the family' smirk on his face.

"You mean you don't want to hear the part where he made her believe he raped her?" Michael had listened in on one too many conversations between his father and Jason.

"This guy was district attorney?" Dante questioned. "No wonder the mobsters in this town are revered."

**********

"This area is restricted." Lucky informed Jason who was checking out the garage.

"Do you know what happened?" Jason asked attempting to find the answers himself.

"I thought you split from the organization." Lucky replied; one could only figure the attack was mob related.

"Which makes this that much more my fault." He explained; feeling the weight of it on his back. He needed the whys and hows in order to keep the people he cared about safe. "Do you know the riffle used?"

"Why? Do you have any idea who was behind this?" Lucky looked around to make sure there was no one else within earshot. "Zacchara gave his statement this morning, but he didn't offer much. There were two gunmen, both in masks that opened fire before entrance and darted off when they saw him."

"They were expecting someone else." Jason stated. "Any meetings set to occur?"

"I don't know. Harper took the statement. I'm still not clear on why this is your problem?"

"It is my problem if Carly becomes a target, obviously whoever is behind this didn't mind if an innocent girl got shot."

"We have no reason to believe she was the target." Lucky objected.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about her except she was dating Dante. My assumption is that it was meant for him, but I'm not sure why him and not Johnny… unless…."

"Unless what?"

"Unless Anthony ordered it." Jason figured.

"Anthony Zacchara is behind bars."

"Do you really think that would stop him? He wants his son to lead the whole empire. With Sonny distracted it's the perfect time to make a move." He went through the thought process out loud.

"Who are you calling?"

Lucky picked up his cell phone as it was ringing he answered. "Pentonville, let's find out who has been visiting him." Once it answered he walked away to order a copy of the visitors log on his desk as soon as possible.

"Do you mind if I take a look at it?" Jason asked upon Lucky's return.

"Working with the cops? Boy things have changed." Lucky commented causing Jason to roll his eyes at him. "It could be helpful. But Jase, you don't think Carly's at risk, do you?"

"I don't see any gain for Zacchara in threatening her, but unfortunately she's permanently tied to Sonny which means there's always that risk." He answered knowing that it was easier to protect her from inside the organization.


	91. Chapter 91

"How did it go?" Dante asked meeting back up with Caitlyn in the room.

"Oh, you know poking and prodding." She responded. "Do you know my favorite thing about doctors? It the 'does this hurt?' 'Yes.' 'Well, how about this?' 'Yes.' 'Which hurts more this or this?'"

"Would you like me to beat them up for you?" Dante offered with a grin.

"I think that's my job." Zander said coming through the open door. "I'm not sure if we got to this earlier. I'm Zander Smith."

Dante shook his extended hand. "I'm Dante Falconeri, her…"

"Boyfriend." Caitlyn answered for him. "Also I work for his mom, okay, well not right now per se, but as a training at the MetroCourt Spa… are either of you listening or are you too busy glaring at each other."

"Of course, I'm listening." Zander responded releasing his grip and sitting down on the other side of her. "Ric told me that the hotel had been rebuilt."

"What all did you talk about?" Caitlyn wondered.

"It was a long night." He confessed. "There was something he couldn't answer for me though."

"And you're thinking I might?" She concluded.

"Did he know? Did dad know that he had a daughter?"

"I'm not sure." She answered honestly. "My mom told me pretty much from day one that he didn't want me, which suggests that he knew but that's assuming that my mom was telling me the whole truth. It's not like she even told me who he was until… anyway."

"He wasn't perfect, obviously, but I don't see him denying a child especially after what happened with Peter… you do know?"

"That I had another brother who killed himself? Yeah." She answered which only fueled her own fear of going down that path knowing that it could be passed down from both sides. "Part of my mother's diagnosis was borderline personality disorder."

Both guys looked to her as if they needed more explanation.

"You know the movie 'Fatal Attraction'?"

Zander nodded.

"You mean the one with a psychotic Glenn Close?" Dante clarified.

"That is Hollywood's take on BPD; an extreme case, obviously. Borderline clients are typically female. They are pathologically manipulative and will switch between love and hate on the drop of a coin. Often they will resort to self harm to seek the desired attention, and when that doesn't work it's not unusual to make up a pregnancy. Being a psychologist he knew that, and trying to keep his family together he probably rejected her and she took that as rejecting me."

"So it's a good thing that neither Pete or I had a pet rabbit?" Zander teased.

She laughed along with him until it caused her pain.

"Caitlyn…" Dante jumped in concern.

"I'm okay." She responded.

"Alright, while we are telling stories, can anybody explain how this happened?" Zander asked going serious. Ric was vague about what he knew about Caitlyn, and the circumstances of the attack, and he couldn't help but wonder how much it had to do with the mob activity of Port Charles.

"I was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That happens a lot in this town. Any way to be more specific?" Zander questioned.

"Wow, so the rumors are true. Lazarus has risen." Michael said from the doorway; Johnny not far behind.

"Michael? Holy crap have you grown! Course you look more and more like your mom. How's she doing?" Zander was surprised seeing the seventeen-year-old Michael.

"Well…ah, she's getting a divorce, again, this time not from dad; just had her third child, a girl this time, and recovering from her heart stopping a couple weeks ago." Michael gave the highlights.

"What?!" He reacted to the last part.

"What? You don't think that you're the only one around here that can come back from the dead?" Michael teased.

"Of course not, I can still recall your mom coming back at her funeral, now that was something."

"Wow, there's hope for me still." Caitlyn joined in on the dark humor.

"That's not funny." Dante commented holding onto her hand.

"Dante, we should let them catch up." Johnny suggested from the doorway. When Dante attempted to resist, Johnny urged with resolve.

***********

"What is this all about?" Dante asked Johnny after he shut the door behind him in one of the waiting rooms.

"Besides giving Caitlyn the chance to connect with her brother? I think we need to discuss what actually happened yesterday." Johnny responded. The questions were coming in; he didn't provide the PCPD with much, but Sonny was already on him about it, and he had just walked in on Caitlyn's brother asking her what had happened.

"It's not that hard to figure out." Dante replied. "Your father figured out Mendes was working against him, and used him to set me up."

"Frankie was the informant?" Johnny questioned being the first time a name had been mentioned to him. "I always thought he was pretty cool."

"He was."

"You know our options; either bring this to Sonny or handle the issue ourselves." Johnny stated.

"It should be me." Dante said less than enthused.

"What's the problem? It's not like you've never killed before."

"Only when they have been shooting back at me." Dante revealed. "That I did as a cop. This means taking that final step from defensive action to killing in vengeance."

"If you don't want to, I can." Johnny volunteered knowing that looking an old friend into the eye and pulling the trigger wasn't something everyone could handle, at times he wasn't entirely sure he could, but it was the way the business worked and they both knew it. To let it go would imply weakness, and that would lead to further attack.

Dante snickered. It wasn't a matter of not wanting to. From the moment he pulled up to the crime scene to find Johnny Zacchara bathed in his girlfriend's blood he wanted to exact revenge against all responsible, but a part of him and what he believed in would be lost. "No. There's a good chance that someone from the Zacchara organization overheard that I was Sonny's child. If that's true then it won't be long before it is public knowledge. The only way to survive that is to show that I can be just as ruthless in this business as my father."

"Chances are that Frankie went into hiding." Johnny commented figuring both sides were going to be out searching for him.

"So we find him." Dante replied.

**********

"Anyone order a pizza?" Sam asked flashing a cardboard box in front of Carly as she opened her front door.

"I'm quite sure I didn't, but come in." Carly greeted. "Jason put you up to this, didn't he?"

"No." Sam denied. "Not directly."

"Jason had Lucky request you come over here?"

"I'd say strongly suggest." Sam searched for the right wording.

"Since when did they get the notion that I needed a babysitter?" Carly questioned more offended with Jason and Lucky than Sam. She dug into her kitchen cupboards to grab a couple plates.

"To be completely honest, I don't think they want either one of us alone. They're looking into the garage shooting and until they find out who's behind it…"

"I suppose. Did you ever see the day coming that Jason and Lucky were working cohesively?" Carly laughed.

"Only in Liz' nightmares." Sam commented before taking a bite of dinner, both sitting on the kitchen countertops.

"I suppose it defeats the purpose of having Lucky pretend to be Jake's father."

"At this point Lucky isn't pretending." Sam corrected. "He's Jake's father in every way that counts."

"I know. The same way Jason was with Michael." Carly often regretted ever giving up the family she had with Jason to self-destruct with Sonny. "But I can't see Liz being happy about this. Whatever happened there? It seemed before Thanksgiving they were heading towards another reconciliation."

"Would you rather…?" Sam questioned.

"No!" Carly replied adamantly. "Lucky has too much Spencer in him for Liz. She likes the idea of the danger, but part of Lucky thrives on it. He's tried to hide it for her, but it's the reason he became a cop in the first place."

"I thought it was to stick it to his father?" Sam joked.

"Well, that too. Not that Luke didn't deserve that. It was because your tour of the Southern Hemisphere chasing after Jerry wasn't it?" She asked going back to the question of Liz and Lucky's final split.

Sam nodded.

"I don't think I have said enough how grateful I am for you two doing that and then finding the evidence on top of that…"

"Let's just hope it's enough. Speaking of nightmares, how have yours been?"

"And I thought girls were gossipers. Was this directly from Jason or did it go through Lucky?" Carly asked.

"That came from Mike. I went by Kelly's this morning to pick up some breakfast and he was interested to hear how you were doing, apparently he overheard Michael and Alyssa talking."

"Michael?"

"What did I do now?" Michael asked coming into the kitchen, and grabbed a piece himself.

"Publicly announcing your mother's sleep issues." Carly answered.

"Like the circles under your eyes aren't a dead giveaway. Where is everybody?"

"Morgan and Britni are with Jax tonight."

"I swear Morgan acts more like Jax is his father than dad is." Michael observed.

"Michael, it was different for him…" Carly started to explain.

"I know. I just worry about dad. If this trial goes the way you and just about everyone else in this town wants it to, he's left with no one except maybe his employee's." Michael confessed. "And you before you tell me that it's the result of his own doing, I know."

"Honey, I'd never ask you not to care about your father." Carly responded. "Where have you been?"

"I went to the hospital to get my blood tested, but don't worry, I doubt it's going to matter anyway."

"She's getting better?" Sam asked the same question Carly was thinking.

"She seemed okay, but no, um, a blood relative was found." Michael answered.

"Really? Olivia was fairly certain she didn't have any." Carly replied.

"It was a surprise for everyone. Caitlyn didn't say anything about him because she thought he was dead."

"Why would she think that?" Sam asked.

"That's what the police report said."

"Oh?" Carly questioned.

"Mom, maybe you should sit down."

"I am sitting."

"Yes, but on the ground level." He indicated as she was sitting on the counter.

"Michael, just say it." His mother encouraged.

"Zander Smith is alive, and he's Caitlyn's brother." Moments of silence past. "Mom, say something."

"How?" She responded.

**********

"What is your legal name now?" Caitlyn questioned once her and Zander were left alone in her room.

"It's Alexander Smith." He confirmed. "I just had to get used to a new social security number."

"Where have you been?"  
"Colorado." He replied telling her pretty much the same thing as he told Elizabeth.

"Whatever happened with your mom?" She asked prying into the questions that he had ever since finding out about her father and brothers.

"When my dad showed up in Port Charles I asked him the same thing. I thought what happened to Peter was my fault. Both of them were grief stricken, and couldn't look at me the same way anymore. I took off and did what I had to in order to get by. I thought they were better off without me but apparently that final loss was what drove them apart."

"Why didn't you look her up?"

"I did, and she was remarried to a man with three children of his own who she was raising with him. I didn't want to tear her life apart again." He answered happy knowing someone in his family got happily ever after.

"You really believe that's what your presence does?"

"I have ample proof of that." Zander responded thinking back to Peter, Emily, and his father. "Enough about me. It's time I get to play twenty questions."

"Shoot." She commanded, and then cringed as he reacted. "Sorry, I'm never going to be able to say that again, am I?"

"Probably not." He replied and then asked the first question. "Who are you?"

"I am Caitlyn Ariel Montgomery, and don't think the initial thing escaped me." She started. "The daughter of Cameron Lewis and Janis Montgomery; that's spelt like Janis Joplin who was my mom's all time favorite singer. I'm more of a 70s-80s hard rock fan myself. I was born on Cinco de Mayo which does make me Taurus, and I have been told that I'm as stubborn as a bull. My favorite color is blue, and as much as I love the ocean I am very much enjoying the change of seasons here."

"What brought you here?"

"After my mom passed away I decided to utilize a friend who said they could get me PI to find my father. He traced his last known address to Port Charles and I decided to take it from there. I was able to apply to PCU and was accepted with a full academic scholarship."

"When you found out what happened, you stayed for school?"

"It had a good program, and now I'm a semester away from my masters." She explained. "But now with the MetroCourt, and people…"

"Friends at school?" He questioned.

"They all of lives of their own to get back to in May."

"So by people you mean this Dante guy?"

"Yeah… you don't like him?"

"Would it really matter?" Zander questioned.

"It would be easier if you did." She said honestly.

"I haven't formed an opinion, but I do sense that he may have had something to do with you laying in this bed right now."

"Did Ric tell you anything about him?" She asked trying to figure out how much he knew of her boyfriend's tie to Sonny Corinthos.

"No; he left him out."

She struggled telling the next part, but she knew he could find out from anybody else. "Dante works for Sonny Corinthos, and Johnny is the brother of Sonny's current wife. I was at Johnny's garage when it happened."

Zander shook his head at the information. "Leave it to my sister to get into bed with the mob."

"It's not like you can really say anything." She said pointing out the hypocrisy.

"Of course I can. I know what happens; what it can cost." He replied.

"Zander, we're not going to fight about this." She stated and tightened her grip on the hand she was holding.

"Stubborn as a bull?" He questioned.

"Yep."

"Okay, well, you look like you're about to fall asleep. I should get back to the hotel, but I will be back first thing tomorrow."

She smiled. "Zan, you really are a dream come true, and I gave up on those a long time ago."

He clasped his free hand over her palm. "Back at you sis. Sleep tight."


	92. Chapter 92

**Author's note: No, I didn't give up on the story. I've just been adjusting to full time hours at work again, and watching things unfold on GH… I like my version better. Thanks for the reviews. I was wondering if there were any guesses to Caitlyn's paternity, and funny enough Trevor never crossed my mind, although watching the interactions between her and Ric I can see where it comes from. However, it was meant to be subtly set up from the first visit to the park when she reacts to hearing Cameron's name being shouted out. My other thought was possibly making her John Durant's which would make her Carly's sister, but I liked the idea of bringing Zander back way too much. Keep up the reviews… and by the way, you're the jury, once the case closes (based on the testimony provided) weigh in on the verdict. **

"Sonny." Johnny caught his attention prior to the trial starting to flag him over to an empty room.

"Does this mean that you're here to support your sister today?" He asked upon entering. "She'd appreciate it."

"How about I do that when you decide to support your son?" Johnny countered.

"Dante wants nothing to do with me. He made that abundantly clear."

"Do you honestly believe that? The guy found out a week ago that you are his father. Before he had time to deal with it your enemies find out, plan a hit against him, and the one person he trusted enough to help him through it got shot instead."

"You know who did it?"

Johnny shook his head in frustration.

"The best way I know how to take care of Dante right now is to deal with the problem." Sonny explained.

"My father found out that Mendes was working against him. He had him set up a meeting with Dante at the garage, and you can probably figure out the rest." Johnny gave him the update he came to give in the first place. "I've already had a chat with my deal 'ol dad and let him know what would happen if it ended badly, and Dante thinks it's best that he takes out Mendes."

"Monte is at Pentonville with your father, right?" Sonny questioned. Alfonzo Montague had been a long standing associate of Anthony into his own incarceration.

"Yeah, a couple cells down, why?"

"I think Anthony is finding prison a little too comfortable." He commented while smirking. "I'll make sure he gets the message that no one is untouchable."

"There's something else I should probably tell you." Johnny started to tell him about the resurrection of his former employee.

"I should get going; this thing is going to start soon."

"Sonny…"

"Let me know when you track down Mendes." Sonny ordered before leaving. He agreed that Dante should do the job, but he wanted in on the when and how.

**********

"My next witness is Doctor Kelly Lee." Alexis called. Now that the motive had been set and the details of the crime presented it was time to tell the story of the cover-up. The OBGYN took her seat and swore in before Alexis started.

"Dr. Lee what was the status of your relationship with Mrs. Corinthos in the early part of April of this year?" Alexis asked.

"I became Mrs. Corinthos' OBGYN with the news of her pregnancy." Dr. Lee answered not entirely sure what the DA was asking.

"You're first meeting with Mrs. Corinthos was after finding out she was pregnant?"

"Officially as my client, yes." Dr. Lee answered.

"Which means anything prior to that wouldn't fall under the laws of confidentiality, correct?" Alexis asked.

"Technically, no."

"Do you recall ever speaking to Mrs. Corinthos about her desire to become pregnant?"

"After General Hospital was burnt down, a lot of doctor's took shifts over at Mercy to help with the influx of clients. Mrs. Corinthos came barreling in one day demanding attention, and so I sat down with her to answer some questions. She wanted to know the best way to get pregnant as soon as possible. I gave her some literature about detecting the optimal period of ovulation. A couple days later she came back, again without an appointment, hoping for something else. She asked if fertility treatments may be in order."

"She was desperate to become pregnant?"

"Objection, your honor!" Ric threw out.

"Overruled." The judge replied. "Answer the question."

"She said that becoming pregnant may be the most important thing she ever did. She acted like her life depended on it." Dr. Lee answered.

"Based on these conversations, did you have any reason to doubt that her husband was just as desperate to have a baby?" Alexis inquired.

"Yes. As I mentioned, this wasn't a formal appointment. Mrs. Corinthos and I were sitting in the lobby when Mrs. Corinthos suddenly changed her story to say that she was looking to prevent herself from getting pregnant as her husband specifically informed her that he did not want any more children. When I looked behind me, I saw Mrs. Jax standing there for her scheduled appointment with me."

"Thank you Doctor Lee, no further questions." Alexis closed.

"Mr. Lansing, your cross examination."

"No questions, your honor." Ric abstained.

"What?!" Claudia looked to her counsel. He shook his head no, hoping to keep her quiet.

"Dr. Lee, you may step down." Judge Hackett released her.

"You're not going to say anything?" Claudia asked her lawyer.

Everyone in the courtroom looked to Ric's response, including the jury.

"Your honor, may I have a recess to confer with my client?" He requested.

"We reconvene in fifteen minutes." She announced allowing the vacation of the courtroom.

"What are you doing?" Claudia asked.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ric threw back at her. "Do you want the jury to think we're afraid of the doctor? In order for that testimony to matter the prosecution has to make the case that having that baby was a means to keep you alive, so far they haven't, until they do I'm not going to make it for them."

***********

"Earth to Carly, what are you looking at?" Jason asked his zoned out girlfriend. She was staring over to Lucky and Sam who were in casual conversation with Luke and Lulu.

"Um… I don't know." She responded.

"I know you're sick of this, but are you okay?" He asked reaching to touch her forehead.

"Yeah." She responded still gazing off.

"You've been acting off since last night."

"What do you mean?"

"You're hiding something." He responded knowing the signs.

"Did you and Lucky come up with anything?" She asked breaking her gaze outwards.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with." There was a name on the list that was sent to Lucky's desk that sounded familiar, but he couldn't place why. They were using the resources of both Spinelli and the PCPD to look up information on a Franklin Mendes that had visited Anthony only days before the attack had taken place.

"Now who's hiding things?" She teased.

"What did you and Sam come up with?" He re-shifted the focus.

"I'm afraid my cousin's world is about to change dramatically." She finally admitted knowing that it could impact him too.

"How so?"

"Cameron's daddy is back." She said cryptically.

He looked back in confusion and shock not aware that could be possible. Before given the time to explain the doors opened for court to reconvene.

**********

"Hazelnut skim latte, as you ordered." Zander said setting the drink on Caitlyn's bedside table. He had called her on his way over to see if she wanted anything.

"Thank you." She greeted him with a double hand squeeze. "How was your night?"

"The MetroCourt has great service, I will give them that much. It still feels weird." He replied. He couldn't help but feel like he was sleeping over his father's grave.

"I suppose you can't wait to high tail it out of here as fast as you possibly can." She assumed. There were painful memories all over that town for him; memories he never thought he'd have to face again.

"I never said that." He replied.

"There's no wife and child waiting for you in Colorado?"

"No. My only family is right here."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Elizabeth said at the door. She had the day off work and Cameron begged her to bring him with to see Caitlyn when she told him that was where she was going.

"Hey bud." Caitlyn said smiling at the six-year-old. "Why don't you come over here and give me a hug?"  
He scampered towards her and Zander sat in awe as he laid eyes on his son for the first time. Cameron looked so happy and peaceful; everything he had hoped for him; he couldn't imagine taking away everything that kid knew to be true.

"Have you been able to ask Santa what you want for Christmas?" Caitlyn asked him after the biggest bear hug the child could give her.

"Not yet. Mommy was going to take me and Jake to Macy's tomorrow, and I'm going to tell him I want…"

"Shh, don't tell me." She interrupted in a whisper. "That's between you and Santa."

"Can you go with?" Cameron asked her.

"That depends on what the doctors tell me." She confessed. "Hey Cam, can I introduce you to my brother?"

The boy looked up at Zander with wide eyes and extended his hand like a little gentleman.

"I'm Zander Smith." He said to his son.

"I'm Cameron, and this is my mom." He said tugging at Liz' hand.

"We've met." Zander smiled.

"Yeah." Liz confirmed and explained. "We met through your Aunt Emily."

"You knew Auntie Em?" Cameron asked.

"We were close." Zander told him.

"She was your girlfriend?" The boy asked.

"Yes, she was my girlfriend."

"Caitlyn is mine, but only in the she's a girl kind of a way. It's not that I don't think she's pretty, but mommy says she's dating Dante."

Caitlyn buried her face in her hands attempting to not laugh.

"Oh really? What do you think of Dante?" Zander asked him.

"I think in a couple of years, I can take him."

Liz and Caitlyn both busted out in laughter on that one.


	93. Chapter 93

"Dante, what are you doing here?" Olivia asked her son in the lobby of the hotel.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Spinelli in another half hour." Dante explained. Johnny had contacted Spinelli about looking into Mendes' whereabouts the night before; the techno genius was still on Sonny's payroll, and they didn't figure this case in particular would be a conflict of interest.

"And you decided not to go to the hospital first?" Olivia questioned.

"I thought about it." He confessed.

"But…?"

"I figured that she could use the time to bond with her brother, and I saw the letter." He told her. He went to the garage late and picked it up.

"I am so sorry, Dante, I had no idea…"

"It's not your fault ma, I mean, she went to a public business establishment in the middle of the day. I gave her no reason to believe she could be walking into a crime scene, and there's no way you could have known."

"You and Johnny have both said that it was getting dangerous." Olivia countered.

"I should have protected her; I should have pushed her away, but I couldn't. I needed her."

"Dante, would you like to talk in my office?" His mother asked sensing his vulnerability. He got up to follow her in. Olivia didn't want to be happy, but she was. Her son was finally opening up to her again.

"Ma, I don't regret anything from my childhood. Yeah, sure, it would have been nice to have my dad at my little league games, but I get it. I get what you were trying to protect me from, and I'm sorry I let you down." He told her, responding to her fears expressed in the letter.

"You never let me down." She insisted.

"I became the very thing you were trying to protect me against." Dante argued. "You taught me values; you taught me the difference between right and wrong, and I threw that back in your face."

"I also grounded you for a week for lying to me, ain't I the hypocrite? Dante, it's not as easy as right and wrong especially when family is involved, and whether you knew it or not you connected to your brother the moment you met him. It was just a matter of time before those lines got blurred."

"That's why you begged me to leave town? Insisted I get reassigned?"

"You know that answer."

"Which were you betting on? Dad killing me or vice versa?"

She shook her head not wanting to imagine either scenario. "Have you thought about telling your siblings?" Olivia asked instead.

He nodded. "You should see Caitlyn with her brother. They met yesterday, but it was as if they both knew a piece of them was out there somewhere waiting to be found. I can't deny Kristina and Morgan their big brother, and truthfully…"

"You're looking forward to it." Olivia finished his thought.

***********

"Mr. Lansing, are you through with this witness?" The judge asked.

"Yes, your Honor." Ric dismissed the doctor.

"Ms. Davis. You're next witness."

"I would like to call Nikolas Cassadine to the stand." Alexis looked to her nephew. He approached the bench ready to give the testimony he had held to himself for too long. Once he was sworn in, she began.

"Mr. Cassadine, how well do you know the defendant?" Alexis asked.

"Her brother was dating my little sister for awhile. We had the same concerns as to the stability of that relationship for both involved. The first time I had any sort of conversation with her was in May of 2008."

"Where did this conversation take place?"

"My estate on Spoon Island, Wyndemere castle. There was a storm, and the electricity was going out. I found Ms. Zacchara in the harbor. She had been stabbed. I fished her out, brought her inside, and did what I could to nurse her back to health."

"Did you know who she was when you rescued her?" Alexis asked.

"No. I brought her in and started applying pressure to her wound. She wondered why I would help her stating everyone wanted her dead. She wouldn't tell me who stabbed her, but she did identify herself as Claudia Zacchara. I tried to contact the mainland to get an emergency vehicle over and bring her to the hospital, but the lines were out. Ms. Zacchara did not want me contacting the authorities for her."

"So, she was hiding something?" Alexis questioned.

"I assumed that much. Her temperature was high, and she became delirious. For a while Ms. Zacchara thought I was her brother and she told me. She started talking about Sonny and how he wanted her even though he would hate himself afterwards, but he would hate her more if he knew. She said that I couldn't tell anyone, it had to stay a secret, she was responsible for having Michael shot. She hired Ian Devlin."

"You said she was delirious?"

"Yes, but later on, after she had slept it off I confronted her with it. She tried to deny it off that bat, but when I threatened to get the authorities involved unless she told me everything, she confessed. She did it; she felt bad about it. She was defending her brother, but she was responsible for hiring the hit that put Michael in a coma."

"Thank you, Mr. Cassadine, no further questions." Alexis closed.

************

"So you don't like him?" Zander questioned Cameron further on his take of Dante.

"He's okay, kind of short though."

"Like you're one to talk?" Liz teased her son.

"Yeah, but I'm going to grow up big and strong, and when I do I'm gonna be cop just like my daddy." Cameron replied causing Zander's heart to sink.

"Are you honestly asking a six-year-old what he thinks of my boyfriend?" Caitlyn asked her brother hoping to change the subject noticing the sting he felt as Cameron glorified Lucky the way a child should look up to their father.

"I just need to know if he's good enough for you." Zander argued back. "What do you think Cam?"

Cameron shook his head no.

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm pretty sure we're living in the 21st century where it's the woman's decision who she gets to take out to the movies."

"It doesn't mean we don't get an opinion." Zander replied for both him and Cameron.

"I would hope that you would get to know him first before developing that based on a first graders perspective of how vertically challenged the guy is, and I'll have you know, that he's at least two inches taller than me." She responded.

"Can I come in?" Monica asked noticing the family bonding.

"Sure, please do." Caitlyn invited.

"Do you have the test results?" Zander asked suddenly apprehensive.

"Yeah." Monica answered.

"Hey Cam, why don't we go down to the gift shop." Liz suggested to her child. He followed her out without complaint.

"So?" Caitlyn asked.

"Your kidney is functioning; it has been compromised and I do want to keep a close eye on it, but at least for the time being I don't see a reason to keep you here." Monica replied.

Caitlyn grinned at the news.

"Nurse Spencer will be by shortly with the discharge paperwork, once that's filled out you can go home."

"I can't wait." She replied.

"Don't thank me yet. I'm not going to okay you for work until the results come in from next weeks check-up, and you need to let me know if you are experiencing any signs of failure." Monica handed her a brochure on the facts of kidney failure. "Tell someone if you are experiencing back pain, if you're feeling ill, or have problems with urination."

"I will." She responded feeling like she would say anything to get out of the hospital. "Would it be okay to add exercise?"

"Don't overdue it; my guess is you probably know your limits better than I do. Just don't push any."

"Okay. Thank you." Caitlyn expressed before Monica left to see her next patient.

"It sounds like I should stick around for a bit." Zander said once Monica left.

"I was hoping you would want to do that anyway, I mean, at least through the holidays."

"I think I could manage that."

"And I don't want you staying at the hotel." She added. "My place is a fully furnished two bedroom apartment; I'm not a great cook, but there's good delivery near by."

"Why am I thinking that's not a good idea?" He asked. He liked the idea of being there to look out for her, but they barely knew each other and living with someone tended to be the beginning of any type of relationship's downfall if personalities conflicted.

"Because you're thinking too hard."

"Are you sure the boy won't mind?"

"I'm pretty sure we can always go to his place?" She smiled coyly at him.

"So you're going to invite me to live with you only for you to disappear to the boyfriends'?"

"I'll be home during the day." She promised.

"Fine, we will try it."


	94. Chapter 94

Dante found Spinelli tucked away in the furthest corner of the Grille hacking away at his prized laptop.

"What did you find?" Dante asked him.

"Unfortunately the Jackal must admit wherein he has found much about the Fickle Ones arrest record and medical history without the hint of a vehicle, bank records, or surveillance video there is little to ascertain the location of harbor. I was hoping that since you have been toiled side-by-side with the refuge that you may be of some assistance."

"I don't know what to tell you." Dante responded trying to focus on what he knew about Mendes. "He drove a 2007 black Ford Escape." He closed his eyes to contemplate further. "Pez… P-E-Z-7-1-3."

"Has the Audacious One always had a photographic memory?" Spinelli observed.

"Nah, just the use of some clever mnemonic devises." Dante shrugged it off. The skill got him far as a member of the NYPD. He then handed Spinelli a piece of paper. "The Zacchara's also had some off shore accounts that he may have tried to access. See if you can make anything out of this."

"May the Jackal inquire as to what action the Audacious One plans on taking when the refuge has been traced?"

Dante looked back at him with dead pan eyes causing the Jackal to shiver, but he had enough experience working with Jason to know the heinous result of his criminal searches. "She could have easily been paralyzed, if not killed." He replied.

"I met her. The Sprightly One went with the mob prince to Karaoke night at our favorite evening establishment. She mentioned that you had captured a piece of her heart." Spinelli told him. "I guess the Jackal speculates to the process in which the Audacious One went from upholding the law to taking matters into his own hands, as it were?"

"Maybe it was part of me all along." He said alluding to his parentage. "Just tell me when you come up with something. I mean it, Spinelli; I know your loyalty is to Jason…"

"Were it the Valkyrie that had been wounded there is no doubt that the Master would demand to be the primary informed on any progress in locating the being responsible."

"Does that mean…?" Dante searched for the confirmation.

"The Audacious One will be the first to know."

"Thank you; I have to take this." He said looking down at his cell phone, and walking away to receive the news from Caitlyn that she got to go home soon.

***********

As Alexis wrapped her questioning of her nephew Ric attempted to not glare over at his client. He had no warning of Nikolas' knowledge of the shooting. He had asked Claudia specifically who she had confessed to and his name was never brought up. His name was on the witness list, but after seeing Lulu and Lucky Spencer he was expecting similar testimony from their brother.

"Mr. Lansing, your cross." Judge Hackett addressed him.

He took a breath playing his story back in his mind before approaching. "Mr. Cassadine, or should I say your royal Heiness? You are a prince, correct?"

"Yes." Nikolas replied questioningly. "But please, Mr. Cassadine is fine."

"I suppose that grants you certain privileges and responsibilities?"

"It has…?" Again Nikolas responded wondering the point of the line of questioning.

"So much so that you have decided you can take the law into your own hands?" Ric questioned the cover up of the confession received.

"No more than anyone else in this town, Mr. Lansing." Nikolas directed the lawyer knowing his own crooked past.

"You said that my client was delirious when she confessed her guilt about the boy being injured?"

"When she originally confessed, yes, she was running a dangerously high fever and thought I was her brother." Nikolas repeated. "She also repeated this information to me once the fever broke."

"After threatening to take the information to the cops?" Ric confirmed. "Mr. Cassadine, the prosecution is arguing my client hid her alleged guilt for over a year and a half. Are you telling me that the defendant confessed everything to you, after just meeting you, because you threatened to tell the cops about an admittance that took place while she was feverish?"

"My brother, Detective Spencer, is the victim's cousin." He added.

"With the information given even he wouldn't be able to build a case around that." Ric argued.

"I may have also threatened to tell Jason Morgan about the declaration." Nikolas admitted.

"Jason Morgan the 'alleged' mob hit man and uncle to the victim who was in the coma at the time?" Ric confirmed.

"Yes."

"So, you pretty much threatened my client with her life to get her to confess, and then what, just dropped it once you got the answer?"

"I gave her the opportunity to explain." Nikolas answered.

"That must have been some explanation, please, do tell what she said that kept you from telling your brother the cause of his cousin's coma."

"I didn't want Ms. Zacchara's death on my conscience when she made it clear that she never meant for Michael to get injured."

"There wouldn't be any lingering guilt on your end, would there?" Ric questioned.

"It's possible." Nik answered.

"You have a castle on your own Island, correct?"

"I believe I've already testified to that fact."

"So, you have a lot of money?"

"I'm well off." Nikolas answered.

"Spending ten million on a shipment of illegal experimental drugs to help with a brain tumor wouldn't cut too deep into your pocket book, would it?"

"No, not so much."

"Objection." Alexis called. "What is he accusing the witness of?"

"Counsel?" The judge addressed Ric.

"You provided Ian Devlin with the money for that shipment; you were in business with the man that pulled the trigger, correct?"

"I plead the fifth." Nikolas replied calmly.

"Movement to strike this line of questioning." Alexis argued as it was not her nephew on trial.

"Granted." The judge asked that it be taken off the record. "Keep on topic counsel."

"No further questions." Ric released him.

"Your next witness?" Judge Hackett asked Alexis.

"The prosecution rests, your Honor, with the right to call in for rebuttal testimony." She requested.

"Very well. We reconvene 10 am Monday morning with the defenses first witness." The judge insisted before closing for the weekend.

**********

"I'm back." Bobbie said walking into the room and just about dropped the paperwork. She had been on Caitlyn's case that morning covering for a sick co-worker causing her to take the early shift skipping court for the day.

"You've been getting that reaction a lot, huh?" Caitlyn asked Zander.

"Yeah, well… you know." He responded.

"Sorry, Dr. Quartermaine tried to warn me." Bobbie replied. "I should be used to this, but typically when someone comes back from the dead it has Helena's handprint all over it."

"Except when it's your daughter." Zander added.

Bobbie smiled. "That's because the grim reaper himself can't hold her down, and apparently he's having a hard time with this one too. I have your paper work." She said handing over a clip board.

"You're Michael's grandmother?" Caitlyn questioned recalling the similar conversation between Zander and Michael regarding his mother as she scribbled her signature a few times.

"You sound surprised." Bobbie observed.

"Surprised that you're old enough to have a grandchild who is a senior in high school." She complimented.

"I don't buy it either." Dante said walking into the room. "I blame it on a weird time paradigm that rapidly ages only children."

"You're too kind." Bobbie responded to both of them. "Caitlyn, you take care of yourself. I mean it; I don't want to hear that we are taking more bullets out of you. Nothing is worth it, not even this guy."

"I'll try not to make it a habit." Caitlyn promised and held her hand out for the bag of clothing she had asked Dante to bring for her on his way over. Bobbie left after Caitlyn handed the clipboard back. There was something about the relationship that reminded her of Carly and Sonny; she only hoped she was wrong.

"Did you need some help?" Zander asked watching her slowly make her way to the restroom.

She shook her head no. Dante grinned at the offer knowing her response. He wasn't sure if it was conscious at this point for her or not.

"Don't be offended; as far as I can tell she refuses aid from everyone." Dante explained amazed that she was able to handle the medical assistance to this point as well as she had.

"It's a good thing she didn't need my kidney then."

"She mentioned on the phone that you're going to be staying with her for awhile."

"She invited me, and Monica is still cautious about the possibility of failure."  
"Then it's good that you stay close." Dante extended an unsaid treaty.

"I've known my sister for less than 24 hours it'd be laughable for me to think I have any say in her decisions." Zander returned the offering.

"Oh good, you two haven't killed each other yet." She walked back into the room. "Does this mean we're going to be able to handle a night of movies and Chinese take-out in my living room?"

"As long as it means you're taking it easy." Dante said finally able to greet her with the hug he had been waiting two days to give her. It was remarkable that she had bounced back so quickly, but Monica mentioned that the way she had physically taken care of herself helped with that.

"I need to stop by the hotel to grab my belongings, but I'll meet you over there." Zander responded.


	95. Chapter 95

"You do remember who Cameron's biological father is?" Jason questioned Carly as they stepped outside the courtroom.

"Yes, I'm well aware." She responded.

"Okay, then you know it's not…"

"It's not feasible? Jase, anything is possible here, and Michael saw him with his own eyes."

"Where?" Jason asked wondering what reason Zander could have for showing up in Port Charles after feigning death for so long.

Carly explained what Michael had told her about Ric's role in saving Zander and figuring out the connection between him and his sister, although Michael wasn't entirely sure on the details of that one.

"Does Liz know?" Jason questioned.

"They ran into each other in the hospital; Monica knows too." Carly confirmed. "Apparently he's gotten himself on track."

Jason rolled his eyes; he never liked the guy, and held him responsible for his sister's drug problem.

"Don't do that. Zander was good to me when I needed a friend the most." She recalled her own feelings of self destruction after Sonny threw her out for working with the feds on a deal to get Sonny into witness protection. Jason was out of town after she betrayed him. A bond formed between her and Zander as they helped each other through the grief of breaking up with a loved one.

"Up to the point where he sent you flying off the bluff." Jason retorted.

"Jase, he understood me because he was just like me. He figured out I was using him and got angry. He reacted the same way I would have in his place." She said recalling the night she walked in on Sonny having sex with another woman. The ink on the divorce papers had barely dried as she went to his penthouse to drop off the birthday card Michael had made for him. She thought she was getting over him, but seeing him threw her over the edge and she reacted.

"I wouldn't have." He responded knowing that it would be different if he was there.

"No, that's why we work. Twenty four points of perfection, right? We complement each other."

"Right." He responded not taking much stock in the internet dating site's conclusion until it lead to the truth that neither one of them could deny, and even that took him too long to buy. "How long is he here for?"

"I don't know. I talked to Sam, and she thinks it's best to let Liz be the one to tell Lucky about it."

"She wouldn't take Cam out of Lucky's life; he's the only dad that kid has ever known." Jason argued.

"No, not even I think Liz would be that devious, but not only does Cam have another father figure but an aunt as well, would it be fair to her son to deny him that?"

"I guess it depends on how much Zander has actually changed."

***********

"Sonny, are you in here?" Olivia asked calling into the Greystone den.

Sonny sat quiet with a glass a bourbon in his hand, the curtains shut and lights off.

"I guess I'm not going to ask how court went today." She commented and took a seat next to him.

He took the last gulp from his glass and continued staring out. "Prosecution rests its case. Claudia had confessed to Nikolas Cassadine that she arranged the hit."

"That doesn't bode well." Olivia commented.

"You were right to keep your son away from me." Sonny admitted. "I'm poison, everything I touch… Dante even knows that."

"Son…"

"For the past week all I've heard is the story of how my son was shot, and how my wife was the person that arranged it. They look at me like I betrayed them for defending her." He explained further. "I should be the one on trial. I should be the one on the way to Pentonville."

"You can't do this to yourself. You can't drown in your own sorrow. There is good in you and do you know how I know that?"

He said nothing.

"I see it everyday in your son."

"That's only because you kept him far from me." Sonny argued.

"Morgan too. That kid is the best of both you and Carly."

"Did you come to give me a pep talk?"

"No, I came because Dante finally opened up to me again today. He wants to be a brother, and I think it would be best if we brought the kids together to tell them."

Sonny scoffed. "Good luck with that. Alexis probably wont let me go anywhere near Kristina, and Morgan wants nothing to do with me."

"Morgan will come if he knows Dante will be here and I can talk to Alexis mother-to-mother about Kristina." Olivia offered. It was only right that Alexis be privy to the secret before unloading it on her daughter.

"Right now isn't a good time." Sonny argued.

"When is?" She challenged. "We have a holiday a week away that's all about family and good tidings. It'd be nice to let the dust settle a bit before then."

"When were you thinking?"

"Monday?" She questioned. He wasn't sure with the defenses case starting it would be the best idea, but Olivia didn't want to reign in on Britni's baptism on Sunday either.

"If it's what Dante wants, then fine." Sonny conceded and got up to pour himself another glass. He saw the concern on her face. "You can go."

She sighed not wanting to leave him in this condition.

"I don't need a babysitter." He insisted.

"Don't do anything reckless." Olivia advised before getting up.

***********

"You didn't need to go with me to check on my brother." Jax told Alexis as the elevator closed from the ninth floor headed to the lobby.

"He's staying at my request, it's only fair." Alexis told him. She had asked to keep him until closing arguments started in case needed to dispute further testimony.

"You don't still carry a torch for him, do you?" Jax asked slyly, pulled Alexis' hair back to meet her with a kiss.

"No, absolutely not." She whispered to him letting herself falter to his embrace. They got wrapped into the moment, losing time, until the elevator door opened. On their way out Alexis bumped shoulders with an unsuspecting guest.

"I'm sorry." He said heading to the elevator.

She looked over at the sound of his voice. "Zander?"

"I... I'm not even going to ask." Jax reacted to seeing the same thing Alexis did.

"Alexis… Jax." Zander confirmed he knew who they were. "Okay quickly, yes it's me. I'm alive. I came back after finding out I had a sister, and I'm going to be checking out shortly to stay with her for awhile."

"Whoa, what?" Alexis attempted to ask before the elevator door closed. "I didn't just imagine that?"

"No, you didn't." Jax confirmed and then went over to the front desk. "Hey Sara could you pull up a guest's reservation for me?"

"What guest would that be, Mr. Jax?" The employee asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, let's try under Smith, Alexander."

"It's right here. Number 516. It looks like it was booked by a Richard Lansing." She showed him.

"Huh? I wonder what Ric has to do with this?" Alexis pondered.

"That ex of yours sure has a knack for keeping things interesting."

"I won't argue with that. I should get back to the house before he gets there to pick up Molly." She said hoping to pump him for more information.

"Am I going to see you later?" Jax asked knowing the girls were back for in town for winter break.

"We'll work something out." She smiled. "I will see you at the baptism on Sunday."

***********

"How was your day?" Caitlyn asked as she snuggled up to Dante on the couch.

"I like the way it's ending." He kissed the top of her head. "Caitlyn, can I ask you a question?"

"I believe you just did." She replied.

"Why would you want to go anywhere near me after what happened?" Dante asked her.

"Oh, I don't know. I enjoy your company. You're sweet, you make me smile, and you don't suck in the kissing department either."

"I'm serious." He replied.

"So am I. We live in a scary world. People die every day due to vehicular accidents, animal bites, bacteria's and viruses. We can't possibly know when our number will be up, and I'm not going to live in fear of that."

"You're not afraid of dying?" Dante asked.

"No, more afraid of not living." Caitlyn explained to the best of her ability.

"If you were to get pregnant, would you feel comfortable telling me I was the father?" He questioned getting to the heart of his own insecurity; thinking back to his mother's decision in keeping the secret from his father.

"Whoa, well, um… it'd be some sort of holy assistance for me to get pregnant." She replied having been a while since the last time she slept with anyone. She turned to face him feeling the annoyed expression as he awaited the answer. "Dante, you're not your father anymore than I am my mother."

"I'm following down his path…" Dante argued.

"You still have time to choose your own." She interrupted. "I happen to like the person you are, but if you're not happy with it, then do something about it."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Only because it's been ages since imagining myself a mother." She answered. With the strong genetic predisposition she didn't think it would be fair for any child she may have. "I have no doubt in you. All I need to see is the way you brighten as you mention your little brother to know what you would give a child in your life."

He wanted to say thank you for the help in soothing his own insecurity, but he still feared what could be lost when he caught up with Frankie. Could he step over that line to the point of no return? Trying to ease the doubt he clung onto about her faith in him she leaned in to kiss him, feeling solace in her touch he responded back, clutching her until the door knob started to turn. They jumped apart as Zander entered.

"Can I get one of those?" Dante offered to grab a bag.

"No thanks, I can handle it. Which way to the room?"

Caitlyn started to stand up and show him until both guys urged her not to.

"First door to the left." Dante instructed instead.

"Did I miss anything?" Zander asked after setting his luggage in the bedroom.

"No, I was just about to order, do you have any requests?" Caitlyn responded.

"I'm a fan of steamed dumplings." Zander admitted.

"Me too." She smiled. "How does an order of chicken and broccoli sound?"

"Chicken?" Zander questioned.

"We can get some beef lo mein or something too." She tuned in on the boy's need for the red meat.

"Sounds good." Dante weighed in. Caitlyn stood up and Dante grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have the phone number in the kitchen."

"One of us can get it." Dante argued.

"I know where it is, really, I'll be fine." She said before walking off.

"You made a gallant attempt at keeping her sedentary." Zander teased Dante.

"Yeah, well, she'll be outside running by tomorrow morning."

"Do you think she will say anything if she starts going into failure?" Zander asked for another perspective. He got the feeling it would be a hard sell.

"I think it may be best if we both keep an eye out." Dante responded.


	96. Chapter 96

"When do you think you will be officially moving in here?" Carly asked Jason between kisses. Since coming back from South Carolina he had only spent one night in his own bed at the pent house. He told himself that it was to help Carly feel safer, but he didn't want to spend the night alone anymore than she did.

"I think we should hold official move in until after the official divorce." He said raking his fingers through her hair and locking her lips again.

Last she had heard from Dianne there were a couple minor adjustments Alexis was asking for before approving the documents to be signed. Carly was willing to agree to almost anything in order to start the family she dreamed of.

"Mom." They heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"What do you need Morgan?" Carly asked pulling the comforter up to cover the nighty she had on.

"We have a visitor." Morgan said upon entering.

Carly looked over at the clock to see what time it was; she wasn't expecting anyone until later that afternoon. "Who is it?"

"Uncle Lucas."

"Already?" She questioned.

"He said they got to an early start." Morgan explained. "And Uncle Lucas really wanted to see you."

"Okay, yeah, tell him that I'll be down in a little bit." She told him still needing to freshen up and get dressed.

After Morgan left the room to deliver the message Jason asked. "Should I leave?"

"I haven't told him yet." She clarified; between taking care of the infant and spending the days at court she hadn't had a lot of time to talk to her brother on the phone. "I don't see there being an issue, but I'd appreciate it if you could take the boys out for a bit so I can talk to him."

"Consider it done." He replied slipping on a pair of clean clothes.

***********

"You didn't have to wake her up." Lucas told Morgan as he reentered the living room.

"She was awake." Morgan replied. "They tend to stay in bed for awhile after Britni's five am feeding."

"Oh really?" Lucas questioned. "Last I spoke with her she said her and Jax were having some problems."

Michael snickered at the response. "No, their problems are all resolved." He said sarcastically.

"Mom and Jax are getting a divorce." Morgan explained; which only seemed to confuse Lucas that much more.

"Michael, Morgan, we're getting breakfast." Jason instructed coming down the steps.

"Jason? Oh." Lucas reacted not taking long to figure it out.

"Hi Lucas." He greeted trying to hide his own embarrassment. "You guys ready?"

"Sure." Michael said grabbing his coat, and then handing Morgan his.

"She'll be down any second." Jason informed Lucas. "Was there anything in particular you wanted from Kelly's?"

"I'll just take a coffee, I've already had breakfast."

As Jason said, moments after they departed Carly came down with her daughter in her arms. "Morgan said 'they' does that mean you brought Joey with?" She questioned.

"He's at the hotel." Lucas answered taking his niece into one arm and giving Carly a hug with his other. "I'll bring him by later but I wanted to see you alone first."

"Worried about me giving him the third degree?" She teased.

"Maybe a little bit." He admitted. "But I was more anxious to see how you were feeling first."

"I told you I was…"

"Fine." He interrupted. "You could have your guts ripped out by a flame thrower and still tell me you were fine. Excuse me if I don't believe it."

"Okay, now that you see me for yourself?" She questioned.

"You're too skinny and have dark circles under your eyes." Lucas pointed out. "But considering the circumstances you look great."

"I assume that mom has filled you in on the trial?"

"Yeah, and don't get me started on how grateful I am that you've rid yourself of Sonny Corinthos." He wasn't happy with the history that she had with his former brother-in-law and the pain that he had caused her. "Don't worry. I know to use discretion in front of the kids."

"I know you do, and speaking of the kids I wanted to ask you for a favor regarding that one."

"Anything." He replied without having to hear her request. He would do anything for the child, any of Carly's children.

"Would you stand up for her tomorrow as her Godfather?" She officially asked him.

"I'd love too. Wow! I guess I just assumed it would be Jason."

"Yeah well…" She shied away.

"What happened there?" He asked for the recent gossip.

"I don't know what to say except that he was there when I really needed someone. Somehow through the process of almost losing me he discovered that he loved me… and I don't know." She smiled.

"And you're glowing." He observed.

"Does that mean you're happy for me?"

"Only if his affiliations don't end up getting you hurt again."

"They shouldn't considering he's out." Carly informed him.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Sonny pushed Jason too far this last time." She explained.

"So it wasn't an act of gallant to keep you and your children safe?" Lucas questioned Jason's motives.

"I wouldn't ask him to do such a thing." She objected. "Besides he actually thinks we would be safer if he were to stay in the business, but if he can't trust Sonny there's no way for their partnership to continue."

"Have you written Sonny out as well?" Lucas questioned what he felt was the impossible.

"I can't change Morgan's DNA or erase years of Michael's memory, so completely? No, but I wouldn't cry if he found himself locked up in same cell as his beloved wife."

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that." Lucas smiled.

**********

Caitlyn stood outside her apartment trying to key in as quietly as she possibly could. The result was that every sound was that much more prominent. The door creaked open, and she saw her brother fully awake sitting on the couch. "Does this mean I'm busted?"

"How was it?" Zander asked trying not to play her warden.

"Slow." She admitted. She hoped that with taking such a short hiatus she could jump right back in to her 3.5 mile run without any problems, but the pain from the wound kept her from the full sprint.

"When did Dante take off?" Zander questioned surprised to wake up to an empty apartment.

"It was about 1:30. He got a call that he said he had to act on."

"Sonny said jump?" He assumed.

"No, the call was from Spinelli." Caitlyn corrected him.

"Spinelli?"

"Yeah, he's some kind of computer hacker extraordinaire employed by Corinthos; sweet kid with a bit of a schitzotypal personality." She explained.

Zander gave an audible chuckle.

"What?" She questioned.

He shook his head. "You just remind me of dad when you do that."

"When I do what?"

"Describe people as if I've memorized the DSM." He answered.

"You are the first person to call me out on that." She told him not realizing what she was doing. She had memorized the personality disorders to the degree that some people studied astrology. It was amazing how many traits people exhibited without actually fitting into a full diagnosis.

"I had the advantage of growing up with it." He reminded her. "How would you categorize yourself?"

"Oh, definitely a degree of obsessive compulsive personality."

He smiled trying not to comment on the obviousness of that one.

"What was dad's favorite?"

"I would assume considering the time spent talking about and researching it was multiple personality disorder." Zander answered.

"Disassociate identity, they changed the name." She corrected him.

"That is just like dad, too." He pointed out her need to be right.

"It doesn't bother you, does it?" She asked wondering how much it affected him seeing his father beneath this stranger.

"No, not at all. Besides that always needing the last word; I inherited it too." He smirked.

"Good to know, I should probably go shower." She pointed towards her room which had the connected master bath.

"Don't hurt yourself." He warned her.

Caitlyn stuck out her tongue. "Don't tell me that's just like dad, too?"

"No, definitely not." He replied.


	97. Chapter 97

"Were you expecting company?" Sam asked Lucky as they broke away from each other from the sound of the doorbell ringing.

Lucky tried to think of the people that might stop by in the middle of Saturday morning on his day off. What he did know is that he didn't have the kids until after the baptism the next day, but there was no telling what Spencer's would just pop by in a whim. "No, I wasn't expecting anyone." He said getting up and putting on a pair of jeans before grabbing a top from his closet.

"Hang on!" He yelled out the door as it rang again. Once jogging down the steps he opened it up to find Elizabeth standing on the other side of the threshold.

"Lucky, we need to talk… alone." She said as she noticed Sam lurking on the top landing.

Lucky tried to reply as politely as possible. "Liz you can't tell me who I can or cannot have in my own home. Sam is my guest."

"I know, it's just that a family matter came up, and I need to talk to _you_ about it."

He thought back to before his and Sam's break up when they were in the process of discussing living arrangements, and how she was on her way of becoming a member of the family. "I won't tell her to leave. If you want to talk in private I suggest figuring out somewhere else to hold the conversation."

"You know what? You don't have to. I have a new case that I should make a few phone calls for at the office." Sam said excusing herself.

"Sam, you don't…" Lucky started as she gave him a hug goodbye.

"Yes, I do. This looks important. Just call me if you need me later."

"Thank you." Liz expressed before Sam closed the door behind her.

"Would you care to have a seat?" Lucky offered as soon as they were alone.

She nodded and sat down next to him.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you. Lucky, I don't know how to say this."

"My suggestion would be to come out and just say it. I mean, I think that we've both learned that we work better when we're honest with each other." They worked better as friends, lovers, and co-parents when the communication was open; however it seemed that when ever they tried the heavier relationship that honesty broke down completely.

"The other day at work I went into the examination room to draw blood of someone testing to be Caitlyn's donor." She explained.

"Okay? I know there were a lot of people getting tested."

"This was a blood relative that nobody knew was alive, not even she did."

"Another Cassadine returning from the dead?" He joked.

The look of seriousness on her face suggested that he wasn't far off the mark.

"Don't tell me that she's the daughter of Stavros or Stephan Cassadine?! God, I knew there was something that looked familiar about her." Lucky jumped to the conclusion.

"No, no, she's not a Cassadine. She's the daughter of Cameron Lewis." Liz blurted out.

"What?" Lucky inquired. "In that examination room…?"

"Her brother."

Lucky closed his eyes trying to take back the words Liz just spoke. He hung his head realizing what it meant.

"Lucky…."

"I always knew that there was always that possibility with Jake that Jason would step up and take over his role, but Cameron… he was mine." Lucky replied as a knot formed in his throat. "How? How is it even possible?"

Elizabeth took a long breath hating the way the news stabbed into him before providing him the explanation.

**********

"Breakfast is here." Morgan announced.

"I should get going." Lucas said handing Britni over to her mother.

"No, stay." Morgan pleaded.

"I'll be back later." Lucas insisted patting the top of Morgan's head.

"Nice to see you." Michael said giving his uncle a hug. "Are you in town for more than a couple days this time?"

"Two weeks, but one of those you're going to be in Vermont."

"We'll see." Michael responded. His enthusiasm to go waned as he realized the one person he wanted to go with him couldn't.

"Michael…" Carly started not wanting him to give up a chance to spend the time with his friends.

"I've talked to the guys; Kevin, Trish, Tim, Kat, and Ryan all want to go." Michael explained.

"Then you should, it sounds like it could be a good time." Lucas encouraged him.

"I know." Michael replied. "And speaking of good time, you probably shouldn't leave Joey waiting too long."

"He's right." Carly smirked.

"Catch you guys later." Lucas smiled back at them.

"How did it go?" Jason asked as soon as Lucas left.

"I really hope that when he's done with school he can move back here." She confessed. "Britni could use having her Godfather around."

"He said yes?" Jason gathered.

Morgan set out the pastries on the coffee table for everyone to enjoy.

"Aren't you eating?" Morgan asked watching his mother get up and transferred Britni over to Jason.

"I will; your sister needs a bottle first." She explained heading to the kitchen to warm one up.

"Here, I can take that." Jason offered as she reemerged. He was going to make sure she didn't have an excuse to avoid breakfast, and he didn't want to give up the little girl from his grip. Carly was entranced as she watched the love of her life holding and feeding her baby girl with her boys encircled around the table; that was her family the way it was always supposed to be.

"What are we doing today?" Morgan asked breaking her concentration.

"I thought we could head down to the mall, and get a picture with Santa." Carly suggested.

Morgan scrunched his nose feeling like he was too old to be sitting on Santa's lap.

Carly observed his hesitance and replied. "It's Britni's first Christmas. I think the family would appreciate the photo in the card."

"Only if Michael is in it too." Morgan bargained.

"Okay, but if any of my friends show up, I don't know any of you." Michael teased.

**********

"Hey you." Caitlyn greeted Dante with a hug. "Did you take care of what you needed to take care of?"

"No, it was a dead end." He replied a little more relieved than he should have been.

"Looking for the person responsible for this?" Zander questioned coming back into the living room. He knew that was what was happening as soon as Caitlyn told him he darted off for a middle of the night phone call.

"You know I can't answer that." Dante replied.

"You just did." Zander responded. "Who was it?"

Dante shook his head. "You really don't want to get in the middle of this?"

"Don't you think she deserves to know?"

"Whoa, whoa, what happened to everyone getting along last night?" Caitlyn asked mediating between them. "I actually don't want to know what's going down, and for your sake Zander, I don't want you in on it either. You've spent six years turning your life around. I'm not going to let you blow that because you met me."

"And yet you are okay with your boyfriend being in the middle of it?" He questioned his sister's logic.

"It's a little more complicated than you know." She explained.

"How so? I mean, I'm right. You getting shot was a direct result from your association with Dante."

"Technically yes, but…"

"But nothing." Zander stopped her.

"But it had more to do with Dante's association to his father." She refused to let Zander have the last word.

"Your father?" Zander questioned Dante.

"Is Sonny Corinthos, I just found out." He explained.


	98. Chapter 98

"Have you talked to Cameron about it? Does Zander even want…?" Lucky asked teary eyed.

"Cameron doesn't know. He has met Zander. I brought him by the hospital yesterday to see Caitlyn and he was there." Elizabeth explained. "But we didn't say anything about that."

"Are we? Are we going to say anything?" Lucky studied her answer. "Or is this decision up to me?"

"Cameron adores you. He looks up to you, and he wants to be just like you. I couldn't ask for a better role model for him." She confessed. "But we thought Cameron's biological father was dead, and he's not."

"He instantly gravitated towards Caitlyn." Lucky added. "What about her connection to Dante?"

"Did we keep Cam from Lulu when she was dating Johnny?" Liz countered.

"How long is Zander even staying?"

"I don't think he knows."

"Should we talk to him before making any decisions?" Lucky asked. "I'm still a part of this decision making process, right?"

"Of course you are, Lucky, you're always going to be Cameron's dad. You have been since day one practically."

"Let me digest this; talk to Zander and see where he fits in."

"I can do that. Cam wants me to invite Caitlyn out to the mall today."

"She's out of the hospital already?"

"Believe it or not. I'm not entire certain who she paid off for that to happen. Would you like to come with?"

"No, that's oh, no, but I still have the boys tomorrow?"

"Yes. We meet at the church for their cousin's baptism, and you have the boys after." She reconfirmed.

"Great, tell them to have fun today with Santa."

**********

Once breakfast was completed the daunting task of putting together Britni's diaper bag started which included a trip upstairs for an initial change.

"Are you coming with?" Carly asked Jason who peered over her shoulder as she tended to the needs of her infant.  
"I think I may be persuaded." He admitted wrapping his arms around her as she finished. "There could be a security issue."

"Oh right, crazy gunmen looking to hold up the second floor of Macy's." Carly teased and then thought about it. "Maybe I shouldn't kid about something like that around here."

"Probably not a good idea." He responded.

"With you, I feel safe anywhere." She confessed holding onto his arm with one hand, and stabilizing a squirming Britni with the other.

"I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you." He kissed her before the door opened.

"Are we ready?" Morgan asked.

"Oh, so now you're in a hurry to go see Santa?" Carly questioned.

"Michael reminded me that if I don't believe in Santa, I'm probably not going to get any presents from him." Morgan explained.

"He does have a point." Jason smiled. "Yes, we're ready."

***********

"My mom was high school sweethearts with Sonny, but even then he was working for Joe Scully and ma saw the direction his life was going. Sonny craved power, and that trumped everything else, including being a good father." Dante explained.

"So she hid it from him for 25 years." Caitlyn added.

"You becoming an employee, was that before or after finding out this detail?" Zander questioned.

"Before, I was an undercover cop who was itching to take him down until I met his family." He answered. "I found out that Sonny wasn't all bad, and when my cover was blown he offered me a position. Hitting it off early on with Morgan really did save my tail."

"Morgan must be thrilled." Zander observed.

"Morgan doesn't know. I was attempting to keep it quiet so I wouldn't have that target on my back."

"Somebody found out?" Zander gathered.

"Yes." Dante answered simply.

Zander knew not to ask what he was planning on doing about that; it wasn't as if he didn't already know the answer.

"Oh, look at that, saved by the bell." Caitlyn said as her phone vibrated. "Hello?" She answered and then walked out of the room.

"Now that it's becoming public knowledge I am planning on telling Michael, Kristina, and Morgan soon. Just please, if you run into them before then don't say anything." Dante begged.

"It's none of my business." Zander replied. "I doubt I'd recognize them if I saw them anyway."

"I'm sure you would." Dante argued. "Morgan is almost the spitting image of a little Sonny; luckily he got his mother's personality, and I think he's taken after Jax' temperament."

"Jax? How does he fit into all of this?"

"You don't know? Jax is Carly's soon to be ex husband."

Zander chuckled. "Jax raising Sonny's children? Oh, there's some kind of karmic justice in that."

"Am I to assume you didn't part on good terms with Corinthos?" Dante questioned still not able to use the term 'dad' unless laced in sarcasm.

"He took issue to me almost sleeping with his ex-wife, and then his right hand man came back leaving very little use for me."

"And that's when you started working for his enemies?"

"I'm certain the reason Jason didn't come after me himself was because of Emily and Carly." Zander admitted knowing they ranked as number one and two women in his life; fortunately both held a soft spot for him.

"Are you two playing nice?" Caitlyn asked peaking outside her room.

"Yes." They both answered.

"Good. Would either of you like to accompany me to the mall?" She inquired.

"Who says you're going out?" Dante questioned.

"Me." She answered simply. "Elizabeth is taking Cam and Jake, and I still have Christmas shopping to do, especially after just finding out my brother is alive."

"Oh no, you're not blaming me for your defiance." Zander responded. "But, if you insist, I wouldn't mind spending the time with my son."

"I'm not taking my eyes off of you." Dante added.

"Perfect." She smirked getting exactly what she wanted.


	99. Chapter 99

Jason drove around each parking lot three times before finding a space all the while cursing the double parked vehicles on what must have been the busiest shopping day of the year next to Black Friday. It reminded him once again why he was so opposed to public outings that was sure to have an over abundance of people.

"Hey look, can we do the petting zoo?" Morgan asked pointing out the 'Reindeer Express' petting zoo which brilliantly blocked off an entire section of now unusable space.

"Why don't you guys go? Britni and I need to get a head start on the shopping. We'll meet you inside." Carly suggested hoping to get some time away from Jason. She was still in search of the perfect present for him which tended to prove to be an impossible task.

"Mom, I'm really not interested in feeding the reindeer." Michael objected.

"Come on, it won't kill you." She countered looking to Jason for assistance. Jason seemed content with the idea of staying out of the 'real' zoo that was the bustling hordes of shoppers inside.

"You never know; one of the deer could get startled, and…."

"Don't worry Morgan will protect you." Jason patted Michael's shoulder.

Carly grinned and walked away pushing the stroller. Her first stop inside the mall was a gaming shop where she was hoping to locate the billiard cue she had read good things about. She scanned the aisle searching for the current model.

"I would think she was a little young to be starting that." A voice said causing her to jump.

Carly looked up and saw the ghost standing in front of her. "Michael told me, and I'm still having a hard time believing it." She said reaching her arms out hug her old friend.

"I'm adjusting to a few things myself." Zander admitted. "But I have been looking forward to seeing you; I heard rumors this hasn't been the easiest holiday season thus far."

"That is putting it mildly. The highlight would be this little one." Carly said grabbing Britni from her seat and extending her to Zander to hold. "She beat all of the odds to get here."

"Who would have doubted with a pit bull like you in her corner. She's beautiful."

"I'd say." Caitlyn said walking up next to them ogling the infant.

"This must be the sister I've heard so much about." Carly noticed the similarities instantly.

"Caitlyn this is Carly…. Jacks?" Zander questioned the latest change in surname.

"Michael's mom, right?" Caitlyn inquired hearing plenty about Carly because of the relationship to Dante's brothers.

She nodded. "Yes. Michael, Morgan, and then this one is Britni."

"She is a doll." Caitlyn commented on the playful mood the child looked to be in. "I'm glad I got to meet you today; Dante invited me to the baptism tomorrow, and I didn't know…"

"That would be wonderful! Are you guys all coming to the reception at Kelly's afterwards?" Carly offered the open invitation.

"It depends on how she's doing." Dante broke into the conversation. "I was wondering where you disappeared to." He said to Caitlyn who somehow vanished within the crowd.

Carly wondered how Caitlyn was doing after just being discharged from the hospital from a gunshot wound, but considering her own distaste for being asked over and over about her physical state she had the good sense not to say anything.

"Where are Liz and the boys?" Zander questioned him.

"In the never ending Santa line."

"You're here with Liz and the boys?" Carly asked attempting to not sound accusatory wondering when the chips were going to fall for her cousin.

"It's not what you think." Zander responded.

Caitlyn cut in to defend him. "Cam invited me to come with them."

Zander turned to Caitlyn and Dante asking for a minute alone with Carly to explain. "Carly, I'm still trying to figure out where I fit in here or if I fit in here. Cam doesn't know yet that I'm his father, and whether we decide to tell him it's not going to change Lucky's role in his life. I'll make certain of that."

"I'm sorry if my comment came out wrong. What happens between you and Liz's kids is none of my business."

"It is because blood relation or not, they are cousins to your children. I was dead for a long time. The last thing I want is my resurrection to mess up everyone's life."

Carly smiled. "I know we weren't on the best of terms when you died, but I am happy to see you."

"So much so that you are buying the same cue you got me for someone else?" He teased noticing her eying the upgraded model of the same stick she had gotten for him as a thank you for helping her gain some independence about ten years prior.

"I can't believe I forgot about that." She thought back to that evening, and then added. "I can't believe you remembered."

"There have only been two women that have been able to leave a dent in my heart like that." He confessed. "Who is it for?"

She turned her gaze away knowing the animosity between him and Jason. It was Jason's reemergence in her life that severed that friendship with Zander.

"Should I guess? I highly doubt the corporate raider you're currently divorcing ever turned into beer drinking pool shark at Jake's."

She laughed at the mental image. "No, my dates with Jax included moonlighting to Montreal."

"The nights at Jake's still shared with Jason?" He guessed.

"It's been a long time since I've had one of those." She confessed looking to the baby that had been returned to her stroller. "But yes, the gift is for Jason."

**********

"Emma!" Jake screamed running up to the little Drake girl with his arms extended.

Emma was seated forward in the cutest Christmas dress Maxie could find for her awaiting Jake's presence with a heart melting grin.

"Jake, get back over here." Elizabeth commanded standing at the back of the line.

"Mind if we join you?" Robin asked as her husband pushed the stroller.

"Please do." Elizabeth invited.

"Are you here by yourself?" Patrick asked looking around to see if Lucky may be lurking near by.

"No, but Dante says that he's too old for Santa." Cam answered for her.

"You're here with Dante?" Robin questioned.

"Caitlyn's here with Dante." He corrected her. "I invited her."

"Oh." Patrick responded still not placing certain connections.

"Yes, well, one of my boys are into the older girls, and the other likes them young." Elizabeth explained.

"Ms. Donovan at daycare says that those two can't get enough of each other." Robin commented watching Emma and Jake play with one of her toys.

"Tell me about it." Liz laughed. "Should I be offended that my kid gets upset when he's forced to spend my day off with me?"

"Emma can get the same way sometimes." Robin admitted suddenly realizing the cause.

"Wait a minute; I swear I've said that she's not allowed to date until she's thirty." Patrick declared.

"And yet they never listen." Alexis said walking up with Jax, Molly, and Kristina.

"Mom, do I really have to do this? I swear, I will go to the book store, sit in the café with a hot cocoa and read." Kristina complained.

"This is family time." Alexis argued. "Besides if you don't get the photo, Santa won't be bringing you that Blackberry that you've been hinting at."

"Fine. Has this line moved at all in the last twenty minutes?"

"Not much." Elizabeth answered.

Kristina rolled her eyes, turned her iPod on, and stuck the headphones in her ears.

"That's okay." Molly said taking a book out of her backpack and sitting off to the side.

"What's that?" Cameron asked sitting next to her. Molly showed him the cover and had him read it out loud. "Who's Pandora?"

"She's a figure in Greek Mythology." Molly explained. Cameron looked back at her in confusion as she explained the stories of the God's and Goddess' and how she hoped at some point her cousin Nikolas would take her to Greece to experience the culture and history their first hand.

"He does appear to like them older." Patrick observed.

"Only two years, not bad." Jax cut in.

"And no direct blood ties." Elizabeth added.

"Why? Who's the big crush?" Alexis questioned missing that part of the conversation.

"His aunt." Liz answered.

"Lulu?" Jax asked perplexed, and then realizing that wouldn't actually be a blood relation. "It wouldn't be Sarah?"

Liz shook her head no; she didn't want to say too much too loudly. Alexis thought back to the brief interaction they had with Zander on his way to the elevator, and questioned Jax. "He mentioned something about a sister, right?"

"You mean Zander?" He asked quietly.

Liz nodded. "It's Caitlyn."

"Caitlyn Mont…?" Jax watched Liz nod to the mention of his new employee, and then wondered if Olivia was aware of this latest development. If so, why hadn't she told him about it?

"She's here with Zander and Dante." Liz explained to ease the shock of seeing him alive the next time he approached. "They went to do some additional shopping."

**********

Carly was able to get Zander to commit to at least stopping by for the reception before approaching the counter with the gift. She had enough forethought to leave room in the diaper bag to tuck it in and avoid suspicion.

"Now don't tell Jason." She instructed Britni.

Carly checked her watch not realizing how long it had taken her and hurried towards Macy's. She was stopped constantly as consumers halted in front of her and her patience was stretched until she saw a woman bent over picking up the gifts that had been knocked from her arms by a hit and run attack.

"Here, let me help." Carly offered passing an Elmo toy over to the woman who stuck it in the ripped bag she was carrying. "Is this for one of yours?"

"Oh no." The woman replied. "It's for my nephew. Mine is seventeen. She grew out of Elmo a long time ago. Now it's all about the iPod accessories, personal Blu-ray players, and the latest SIMS game."

"SIMS?" Carly laughed. "I have two boys. It's all about convincing them that, no, Grand Theft Auto will not be played in my house." Ever since it came out that Michael was the one responsible for the gun going off that shot Kate, Carly had been fighting tooth and nail to keep the boys from the violent video games. That happened to be the fight she had with Michael the night he was brought to the warehouse.

"Isn't there enough real violence in this town as it is?" The woman sympathized.

She nodded as she held off her guilt, knowing her ex was the cause of most of it.

"How old are your boys?"

"Nine and seventeen." Carly answered.

"Wow, old enough to help with the babysitting." She commented not able to take her eyes off of the heart warmer.

"They're great with her." Carly gushed.

"Mom." A teen said approaching the two women. "I looked back and you were gone."

"I'm sorry, Alyssa, I got knocked over and this nice lady was helping me out." Ellen pointed towards Carly.

"Carly." She introduced herself seeing the predicament the girl was in; not realizing it was her son's girlfriend's mother she was helping out.

"Thanks for your help, Carly." Alyssa replied.

"She has a son your age, do you know him?" Ellen asked her daughter.

"I don't know. Does he go to Queen of Angel's?"

"Yeah, but he was out for a lot of last year, and has been working extra hard to get caught up."

"You know, I think I do know who you're talking about, he's a really good guy." Alyssa commented.

"Well maybe if he has some time over the break you could invite him over." Ellen suggested trying to play match maker.

"I thought I was grounded forever." The teen argued. "Besides I doubt dad would approve."

"Alyssa, your dad is only trying to protect you.

"Who says I would be any safer with Carly's son? You don't know anything about him. It's interesting that you meet a woman in a busy mall willing to help you out with her baby in tote, and you just decide that her son would be the perfect suitor."

"Don't be this way, Lys."

"Actually he's kind of seeing someone." Carly commented. "And I am late meeting up with him and his brother, but it was nice meeting you."

"Ellen." She called out.

"Happy holidays Ellen."


	100. Chapter 100

"Guys, can we make a slight detour?" Jason asked as they worked their way through the crowd.

"Sure but mom will be waiting for us." Morgan warned.

"Good, she can hold the spot." Michael responded hoping to wait in that line as little as possible. "Jase, why are you bringing us into a jewelry store?"

"I haven't gotten anything for your mom yet." He admitted.

"Don't tell me you're spying the diamonds already?" Michael commented noticing the slightest glance to the rings.

"I was thinking about something like this." Jason said pointing out a diamond studded pendant.

"That's from our Jane Seymour collection." The attendant said from behind the counter. "14 karat white gold, with an inlay of round diamonds weighing a total of one karat; a stunning choice."

"It's pretty, but what is it?" Morgan asked cocking his head hoping to get a better angle on it.

"The designer believes that only when you can love yourself and can open your heart can you give and receive love; this pendant is a symbol of that expression."

"I'll take it." Jason responded.

"We take all major credit cards, and we do offer our own payment plan option." The attendant brought out a pamphlet explaining such.

"You take cash, right?" Jason asked taking out his bill fold. The guy's eyes widened as Jason counted out the hundreds before him with the grand total of over $1200. Michael couldn't help but smirk. He and Morgan were used to people bending backwards to please their billionaire of a step-father, but rarely did Jason evoke the same reaction even though his bank account was probably just as steep.

"Thank you for doing business with us, and happy holidays." The attendant responded once the transaction was complete.

Jason tucked the box into his inside jacket pocket for safe keeping and addressed the boys. "This does not get back to your mother."

"My lips are sealed." Michael replied.

"Morgan? You have to promise. I don't care how much she asks you or what she promises you." Jason could only guess the lengths Carly would go to placate her own curiosity.

"I promise. I won't crack." He assured them.

**********

"There you are." Liz greeted Zander as the line scooted forward. Dante and Caitlyn followed closely behind. "It doesn't look like any of you got any shopping accomplished."

"I got ideas." Caitlyn replied.

"Only five shopping days left." Jax cut in and then greeted the girl with a hug. "How are you feeling? You're clients are worried about you."

"You can go ahead and tell them not to. I don't have doctor clearance yet, but I will, soon."

"You sound sure about that." Patrick cut in with a devilish grin.

"Doctor Drake, you're not going to tattle on me, are you?"

"Oh, you mean tell my superior that you're out and about one day after being released? Why would I do that?"

"Doctor Quartermaine was very clear on the point that she trusted me to know my own limits." Caitlyn argued.

"Don't worry about him, he's only joking, you look great." Robin addressed her and then greeted Zander. "And you, I don't think I ever got the pleasure of meeting you."

"Robin Scorpio." Zander shook her hand. "Daughter of Robert Scorpio and Anna Devane. You are a legend around here."

"I suppose that depends on who you ask." Robin responded. "Don't believe everything you hear. Especially if Carly is the one doing the talking."

"You might have been mentioned once or twice, but funny, I don't see the horns sprouting from your forehead."

"Don't get me started." Robin commented.

'Please don't' Patrick mouthed behind her.

"Isn't this the time for peace on earth and good will toward men?" Jax interjected.

"That's awfully big of you considering…" Liz started noticing the shift of romantic sentiment of Jax' soon to be ex wife towards Jason.

"I'll admit to my fair share of the fault." Jax argued.

"The fault in what?" Carly asked approaching the line.

"It's not important." Jax brushed it off and instead directed his attention to the bundle of joy in the carriage. Even Kristina perked up beyond the headphones to pay attention to Britni.

"Is Morgan here?" Molly asked peaking her head out of the book that she and Cam were reading.

"Yeah, Michael and Morgan are here with Jason somewhere, you haven't seen them?"

"Jason?" Liz and Robin both looked to each other in bewilderment believing this to be the last place they would ever catch him.

"Mommy, Santa." Jake pointed out the line moving ahead of them.

"There he is." Liz confirmed having finally moved up enough to see him.

"Carly, are you going to join us?" Jax asked.

She noticed the ever increasing line, but didn't want to piss off everyone behind them. "I should probably go back."

"Stay." Alexis commanded. "It would be nice for Sonny and Mike to get one with the kids."

Carly and Caitlyn both looked over to Dante who stood in line quietly. "That would be nice." Carly commenting trying to figure out a way to make it happen before tipping off the secret too soon.

"Good, then it's decided." Jax responded and whispered to the people behind them that it was his daughter they were holding a place for as they looked perturbed.

Carly stood in line looking out trying to locate her children feeling well out of place standing in line with at least two women that despised her with whom she shares similar sentiments for based on her own perception of their holier than thou attitude. Conversation broke out behind her as Alexis inquired about the secret coming out about Zander and Caitlyn's relationship and Ric's involvement in it. Molly listened on proud of her father for his role in reuniting the siblings.

"Mom, good job in acquiring a spot." Michael approached the line.

"Don't look at me; Liz, Cam, and Jake have been the patient ones." Carly explained. "Where have you guys been?"

"We got held up." Morgan explained grinning at Jason who shook his head at the kids' lack of stealth. He would think that any child of Carly could do much better than that.

"A secret?" Carly smirked and poked Jason. "I'm just going to have to get it out of you later."

"Good luck." Jason said under his breath.

"Hi Dante." Morgan greeted him with a hug turning his head to the girl. "You have to be Caitlyn."

"Guilty." She replied knowing exactly who he was as the boy approached. "It's nice to finally meet you, Morgan."

"I tried to visit you the other day, but Michael said it was getting too late."

She smiled; Dante had told her once the drugs had worn off enough to pay attention. "I appreciate that, but I probably wouldn't have made very good company at the time."

"I told him that too." Michael added. "I'm surprised to see you up and about so soon."

"We tried to threaten to tie her down; it didn't work so well." Zander teased.

"You let a little girl with a gunshot wound pull one over on you?" Patrick kidded.

"A stubborn little girl…" Dante defended him. Each of the guys in line glanced at their respective partner and proceeded by keeping their mouths shut.

"Yay! We're here." Jake said as the kids in front of them settled on Santa's lap whispering their desires into the jolly man's ear.

"Who is next?" An elf asked the group. The adults all pointed out Cam and Jake who really had been the most patient of the children. Cam started by whispering his secret to Santa.

"Has he told you?" Caitlyn asked Liz recalling their conversation in the hospital room where she had cut him off.

"He didn't have to; you should see his eyes brighten up when the commercial comes on."

"Would you by any chance be able to help us out with ideas?" Caitlyn asked her on behalf of both her and Zander.

"Here." Liz responded pulling a copy of Cam's Christmas list from her purse. "Do you have anywhere to go for Christmas yet?"

"We're still working on that one." Caitlyn answered figuring it would be between Liz and her family and Dante and his family.

The next on Santa's lap was Emma who posed like a little princess for the camera. Molly and Kristina stepped into the next frame and then Michael and Morgan joined Kristina for another picture. Kristina hurried off as soon as permission was granted and Carly placed Britni into Santa's arms for the final shot.

"See, that wasn't too bad." Alexis said to her teen as they wrapped up the orders.

"I still say you should have demanded Sam be here." Kristina rebutted feeling like if she had to go Sam should have as well.

"Sam had work to do today." Alexis argued.

"Right, work… In Lucky's bedroom." Kristina inaudibly grumbled the last part. Liz

wondered herself how much of that work was being available for her ex husband, but after the bomb she dropped on him earlier she could hardly complain about who he kept his company with.

"Hey Michael." Carly called her son over to talk to him away from prying ears. "I thought you might be interested in knowing that I bumped into Alyssa earlier. Or actually I was unknowingly talking to her mother."

"Mom, you didn't…"

"I didn't do what?" Carly questioned what he was accusing her of. "I didn't do anything even after finding out who she was. Although you have no idea how hard it was, especially after she invited you over to dinner unaware that you were the same person her and her husband forbade Alyssa to see."

"She didn't?" Michael questioned.

"Oh yes she did. I helped her after she got run down by a crazy shopper and we got talking about our teenage kids… and…and now she's waving at you." Carly observed Alyssa standing alone over by the menswear. "Go for it."

"Are you sure?"

"You have your cell on you, right?" She asked as he pulled it out for her to see. "Have fun, I'll call to let you know when to meet at the car."

"Does that mean we're stuck here?" Jason asked her drawing in as Michael walked off.

"There's a café upstairs. We can take a seat while I feed her."

"What about Morgan?"

"Morgan looks perfectly content shopping with Alexis, Jax, and Molly. Just let me tell him where we're going." She explained. Once she did so they took the elevator to the top floor of the department store. While alone in the elevator Carly seized the opportunity to reach over a lock lips with her best friend. She had resisted the instinct to do such since he approached the line and she caught the reactions of both Robin and Elizabeth as they finally saw it for themselves.

"That took a lot of self control, didn't it?" Jason questioned fully aware of what she was thinking.

"Points for good behavior?"

"A few." He replied and brought her in for another embrace.

***********

"How long have you known?" Lucky asked Sam. She came back as soon as he called, and from her willingness to disappear at Liz' request it was easy to draw the conclusion she had prior knowledge.

"Thursday." She admitted. "Michael mentioned it when I was over at Carly's. What did she say?"

"Not much. I get to remain as a father figure in Cam's life, but it's up to Zander to decide if he wants the title."

"It still hurts." Sam gathered.

Lucky didn't know how to explain it out loud. He knew love at a young age. What he and Liz once shared was epic, and it was something that could live with him forever, but the day he was completed was the day he took over as a father to that young boy. Cam was his first born son in every way that mattered.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to push." She observed his hesitance.

"It's not that. It's just… I'm afraid that if we continue this conversation it's going to open old wounds. Not that this compares to…"

"Having your chance at being a parent taken from you? It compares." Sam responded.

"It's not taken, just changed."

"Don't worry about hurting me." She replied instead.

"I do. I don't ever want to be that person that hurts you; you've been through so much and have had your heart stomped too often."

"Some would say that I deserved it; I spent years doing the stomping." She admitted.

"Nothing you could have done would cause you to deserve that." He said scooting around actually bringing up the miscarriage.

"I think that's your pager." Sam commented hearing the vibration go off against the end table.

"It's the station." He explained the urgency to exit the room in search of the details.


	101. Chapter 101

"What are you looking at?" Carly asked Jason as he spied the lower levels from the café balcony. Looking over the middle of the lower level the Christmas tree stood reaching up almost touching the exalted ceiling of the top floor. Within view was Santa's station.

"Carly, I need you to get out of here." He said urgently.

"Why? What's going on?" She asked in concern.

"Maybe nothing." He answered but pointed down to a middle aged man wearing a baggy tan trench coat, there was something about the guy's expression that screamed desperation and it left an unsettling taste in Jason's mouth. "Don't argue with me, just get out."

"I can't leave without Michael and Morgan."

"Carly…"

"I won't, if there's danger…"

He hung his head and took a breath knowing it was useless to argue. "Call them. I'll meet you at the truck."

"Jase, I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be safer if I don't have you to worry about."

"It's not your job." She argued.

"It's my responsibility if I'm the only one that knows about it." He said not taking his eyes off of the man who seemed to becoming more and more agitated by the moment. She sent her text message urgently telling her boys to leave the premises. "I'll walk you down to the first floor."

This time the mood in the elevator was much less playful. He only hoped that he was able to get her out before the trouble started. The door opened at the bottom of what seemed to be the slowest descent imaginable. She casually made her way with stroller in tote towards the exit keeping her attention pealed for anyone she recognized.

"Nobody leave!" The man called out.

Carly kept walking acting as though the voice was just another among the chaos inside.

"I mean it; nobody can leave until I get what I came for." The man said louder. This time he opened the coat to reveal the bomb he had strapped to himself. The commotion caused all head to turn. "Everyone drop to the ground." He insisted.

Most did as they were told, and the panic from the parents caused the kids to cry out. Zander held onto his son; whispering into his ear to stay calm as Liz did the same for Jake. It was all he could do to keep himself from screaming out knowing his sister was out on the other end of the store searching for her nephews Christmas present.

"You, step away from the door." He pointed towards Carly.

"My daughter…" She tried appealing to him.

"Bring her inside, and settle down." He instructed. "Where's the manager?"

"I'm here." A woman stepped forward. "What do you want?"

"Close the gates; nobody leaves until every register is cleaned out." He instructed.

"It's yours." The manager called out. "Just please, let the children go."

"Nobody leaves!" He repeated. "Or I will blow this whole place up."

Robin cradled Emma praying that they could go unnoticed. Patrick clenched onto her hand watching as the cashiers were instructed to empty the registers of each station. The employees did as commanded with shaky hands and butterflies in their stomachs. A lot of them weren't much older than Kristina hoping to pay for their designer duds.

"How many children do you have?" A voice from the crowd called out.

"Who said that?" The man asked.

"I did." Lucas said out loud. Joey looked to him in dismay as he drew the focus to him.

"You do have children of your own, don't you?"

"Five." The guy answered him.

"Boys or girls?"

"Three boys and twin girls." The man admitted.

"All you want is to give them a good Christmas." Lucas sympathized with him. "What happened?"

Jax hushed Morgan as the boy feared for his family's safety. He and Molly were playing in the toy section when he got the text from his mother. They returned to meet up with Jax and Alexis right before than man exposed his intent. Morgan listened to his uncle keep a level tone listening and understanding what they guy was saying to him as he expressed his loss of his job after multiple lay-offs within the company he had been working for the past fifteen years. The economy had been hitting everybody; savings for retirement hit rock bottom and this man was frantic.

"That's enough." He cut off Lucas after feeling himself slipping from the objective. "What's taking so long?!"

"It's coming." The manager assured him.

Dante sat with Caitlyn only feet away from the door leading to the outside entrance. They watched the swirling lights encase the building as the shoppers outside Macy's Department Store were exited from the premises.

"This guy has lost it; there's no way he's getting out of here with the cash." She whispered to Dante.

"Don't tell him that." Dante whispered back. He knew the best thing at this point was to let the guy think he was getting exactly what he wanted.

Alyssa huddled up next to Michael. She didn't care who saw her; she felt safe in his embrace. He was steady, and she thought she saw her mother look on with a certain sense of acknowledgement of that from the other side of Santa's sleigh.

"You!" The man pointed towards Alyssa as the cash was handed to him. "You're coming with me."

"No!!" Ellen Johnson cried out in horror, but he ignored her appeal.

"Get over here." He demanded.

"Take me instead." Michael insisted trying to reason with the guy to the best of his ability. "She'll just cause more trouble for you."

"Mich…" Kristina gasped. Dante forced his hand over her mouth. After the picture was taken and Morgan joined in with the shopping Kristina was able to convince Alexis to let her go off with Dante and Caitlyn.

"Fine, but no more heroics." The guy addressed the crowd. Michael released his grip from Alyssa to step forward with his hands drawn in front. Carly's eyes pressed together tightly forcing herself to keep quiet for the sake of everyone else in the store. Instead she caught gazes with Jason and listened to herself breathe; focusing on what she knew about her son and the instinct he got from her to take care of himself.

When Michael stepped within arms reach of the man, he pulled him into his grasp and turned him forward using him as a human shield. Michael kept in pace with the guy making their way towards the door.

"I'm Michael." He told him softly; giving the guy a name to the face.

"I don't care."

"Yes you do." Michael replied. He looked confidently at Kristina before pushing the door open to the street. Once outside the cops rallied around their perp.

As he saw his cousin Lucky stood from his post, set his gun on the car in front of him, and reached his hands up hoping to draw forward. "Can we talk?" Lucky asked waiting for the nod to allow him to come closer.

"That's enough." The guy yelled.

"I'm detective Lucky Spencer, what's your name?"

"Daniel." The guy replied.

"Okay Daniel, I don't want anyone getting hurt here." Lucky explained. "So tell me what you need to allow that to be possible."

"A car with keys in the ignition." Daniel answered.

"If I pull up this squad car for you, will you let the boy go?"

"I'll let him out before leaving town." He replied.

"Daniel, he has a family that is going to be worried sick about him." Lucky tried to appeal without denying him his request.

"If I let him go now you'll shoot the tires out of the car as soon as I drive off." He argued; he knew with Michael in the car they wouldn't take the chance of him igniting the bomb if they did.

"You haven't hurt anyone, Daniel, that's to your benefit. I'm going to trust that you don't want to hurt the boy." Lucky explained before getting into the car and pulling it up for him. Daniel stayed still until Lucky back away, and then moved towards the car hanging onto Michael as his shield; dragging him into the passengers seat. Quickly he pulled his door shut and pealed out of the parking lot.

Carly was the first to run out of the department store and watched as the tires squealed with her son inside. Lucky came over to console her. "There's a GPS built into the computer. We already have men tracking it. He doesn't want to hurt anybody, you know that."

"You're going to find him?" Carly trembled.

"No doubt about it." He assured her.

**********

"Carly, where is he?" Alyssa asked running up to her.

"He took Michael." Carly replied. "It's okay, though, he won't hurt him. Michael will call as soon as he's able, and then your father will track the guy down and get him the help he needs."

"Are you sure?" Alyssa questioned, Kristina listened on for the response.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She answered. She saw the way her son handled himself, and it relieved her that he inherited his strength from her. "Jax, will you bring Morgan and Britni home?"

"Of course, are you going to the station?" He just assumed that's where she was wanted.

She nodded; Lucky had asked her to come down so she was there when Michael contacted her. Jason was going with to drive her as soon as they obtained the location.

"Can I go?" Alyssa pleaded.

"Honey, it's going to packed there." Ellen argued.

"I'll stay out of the way, I promise. Dad, he got taken protecting me." The girl cried. Lieutenant Johnson looked to his wife who simply nodded.

"I think we may have gotten a lot wrong." Ellen informed her husband as she looked to Carly who was worried about her son; the same boy that she realized she unintentionally invited into her home.

"Lys, I can't allow you to come down to the station." The Lieutenant responded. "But I promise I will call you as soon as Michael contacts us."

Carly watched as the police took statements from the remaining shoppers before the mall became a ghost town in the early hours of the evening. Being that it was rapidly approaching the shortest day of the year the sun had set; what started as a brisk day became that much colder. Jason held her, pressing her against his chest to keep her warm. She kept her cell in her hand, glancing at it every couple seconds waiting for it to ring.

"Has anyone contacted Sonny?" Jason asked her. Amongst the commotion it dropped his mind that Sonny might want to know that the boy he adopted as his eldest had been taken hostage.

"No, and I don't want anybody to." Carly replied. "He's just going to make matters worse."

"That's not fair." Jason insisted.

"No? Isn't that exactly what happened when Michael disappeared after Kate's shooting? You told him to leave Johnny alone. He didn't, and… No, we know where Michael is. They're tracking this guys every movement, every stop he makes. We'll find Michael and bring him home; you and me."

"We're ready now." Lucky informed them.


	102. Chapter 102

Jax and Alexis brought the kids over to the Lake House believing it would be easier on them to keep them together.

"Are you okay?" Kristina asked her little brother as he stood by the patio ledge looking out at the night sky.

Morgan shook his head. "I keep thinking someone should have said something."

"Like what?" Kristina asked calmly.

"Offered him help or convinced him to drop the bomb. Both Jax and Jason have more money on them than those registers combined."

"Morgan, when someone gets to the point that they strap a bomb to their chest to hold up a department store filled with children, they're beyond the point of reasoning with." Kristina explained.

"Instead we let him drive away with our brother held captive?" Morgan questioned.

"You heard your mom; Michael is going to be fine. He needs us to believe that."

"I'm sick of this." He chuckled.

"Sick of what?"

"I feel like God is testing me, and I just want to scream at him that I'm a nine-year-old kid. I need my family. Can I just make it through one holiday without something bad happening?"

"Come here." Kristina invited him into her embrace. She rested her head on top of his. "I don't know if I say this enough, but I love you."

"I love you too." He replied holding her tighter.

She could not promise him anything, but she knew he was right. He was a kid that was growing up too fast for his own good. If she could take him and shield him from it she would, but she wasn't sure how that was possible.

**********

Liz was able to drag Cam and Jake away from the mall as soon as perpetrator left the premises to bring them back to the house. Zander took off with her after letting Caitlyn know where he was headed. She and Dante offered to stop off and get some dinner to bring on their way over.

"Is Michael okay?" Cameron asked stepping out of the bathtub. Liz hoped that the water would help sooth his nerves.

"Yeah, your dad is going to make sure of that." She insisted. Cameron smiled at the mention of his daddy, the hero.

"Do these work?" Zander asked passing her a pair of pajamas from his drawer.

"Perfect." She replied and held out the pants for Cam to step into. "Is Jake sleeping?"  
"Yes, he tuckered out quickly."

"He missed his afternoon nap. Thank you for your help today." She gave her sincerest

gratitude.

"Yeah, thank you." Cam said approaching Zander with a hug. "You made it not so scary."

"I'm glad." He ruffled his fingers through the boy's curly hair. Zander made eye contact with Elizabeth suggesting that he was ready to take that next step.

"Hey Cam, I need you to pick up the bath toys." Liz suggested walking Zander out into the hallway. The boy gladly complied. "Are you sure? I get that today was emotional and your paternal instincts kicked in, but there's no take backs here."

"I know that." Zander responded fully aware of what he was asking her to do.

"All done." Cam told them meeting them in the hall.

"Good job!" Zander praised him.

"Buddy, can we have a chat on the couch?" Liz pointed him in that direction.

"What did I do now?" The boy asked her as he sat between her and Zander.

"You didn't do anything. Remember the conversation we had about how families come in all different shapes and sizes?"

"Yes." He nodded his head. "You said that some kid's one mom and one dad, and some have two moms and no dad, and others have two dads but no mom, and some…"

"Right." She interrupted him before he could list all the possible permutations. "And you know that what makes a mommy or daddy is how much they love their child, right?"

He nodded his head again.

"There are all kinds of mommy's and daddy's." She attempted to explain. "There's the biological kind which means that a man and a woman came together to create a child. There's step parents which means a mommy or a daddy married one of those biological parents. There are adoptive parents…"

"Like Sammie Thresher's parents?" Cameron followed.

"Exactly. You know that your dad loves you with his whole heart."

"Yeah." Cam responded.

"Your dad and I didn't make you." Liz clarified to the best of her ability.

"Did you adopt me?" He questioned.

"No, no, you came from my tummy the same way that Jake did, but it wasn't your dad that helped."

"Who was it?"

"It was Zander."

"I thought you were Auntie Em's boyfriend?" The boy responded more calmly than either would have figured.

"I was, a long time ago." He answered.

"So, you're my bio whatever daddy?" He understood. "Why did you leave me?"

"Good question; your mom didn't know I was alive." Zander explained. "I was in trouble. I wanted to love you, but I was afraid that if I didn't work on things myself that I would end up hurting you more."

"Oh, are you out of trouble now?"

Zander nodded his head.

"Now I get to be in a family with one mommy and two daddy's?" Cameron asked as if it was a badge of honor.

"Yes." Liz answered.

"Well, until daddy marries Sam, and then I'll be in a family with two daddy's and _two_ mommy's." He added causing Liz to roll her eyes at the mention of Sam being brought in as a mother to her son.

The timing was impeccable as there was a knock on the door at that exact moment. Zander let in Caitlyn and Dante who carried in the orders from Kelly's. Liz directed them to the table in the kitchen to set up.

"Where did Jake go?" Caitlyn asked noticing the high chair empty.

"Sleeping." Liz explained. "I had some left over macaroni and hot dogs for him to eat before crashing, but he wasn't lasting long."

Caitlyn noticed Cameron looking at her speculatively. "What are you thinking?" She inquired.

"If he's my dad, what does that make you?"

She was momentarily thrown back until realizing what conversation they had walked in on. "I… I'm your aunt."

**********

"Where do you think you're going?" Johnny asked tugging on Olivia's arm.

"To make some food." She grinned and wrapped a robe around her. They hadn't been out of bed since breakfast and she could hear both stomach's growling.

"Okay, fine, but only if I get to help." Johnny offered.

"Great idea, could you get the water started? I really can't put off this phone call anymore." Olivia replied hoping that Alexis would understand the situation if she presented it to her.

"Boil water? I think I can handle that."

"Thanks." She pulled him into another kiss.

Feeling themselves slipping back to the mattress Johnny reached over to the end table to hand Olivia her phone. Once they broke he left the room to start on dinner. She dialed the district attorney's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Carly?" Alexis questioned as she answered.

Taken back by the assumption Olivia corrected her. "No, it's Olivia, is this a bad time?"

"Um… yeah, kind of, you mean you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Olivia confirmed her ignorance.

"There was a problem at the mall this afternoon. Michael has been taken hostage."

"What?!" She yelled causing Johnny to run in. Alexis explained the circumstances before getting off the line to keep it clear in case any word came in. After hanging up she repeated the conversation to Johnny. "Sonny must be frantic."

"Sonny?" Johnny questioned with a sigh. He knew that Olivia loved him as much as he loved her, but there was always going to be that soft spot for her first love. "You should call him; he could probably use the support."

"John, I don't…"

"No, it's okay. I get it. He's the father of your child. I'll be in the other room if you need anything."

"Wait." She said grabbing his arm this time. "I can't tell you how appreciative I am of you. You've put up with all kinds of lies and secrets from me."

"You were trying to protect your son." He replied thinking back to all the lies and secrets he had kept for his sister.

**********

"They have to be nearing Canada by now." Carly said looking at the cell phone once again.

"Almost." Lucky replied. "The car is running out of gas, he has to stop soon."

"Why don't we have somebody following him?" Carly questioned as Jason held on to her hand in support.

"So far he's being careful, and until we have Michael we don't want to do anything that would spook him." Lucky explained once again.

"Where is my son?" Sonny demanded barging into the police station.

Carly shook her head knowing that it was only a matter of time before that happened. The PCPD was careful to not let the reporters onto the identity of the hostage, but there was a store full of shoppers that saw it all unfold before them.

"We have good people on that right now." Lieutenant Johnson explained approaching the mob boss.

"So you know where he is? Somebody better tell me something." Sonny commanded then looked over to his ex wife. "Carly, how could you? Our son gets taken hostage by a freak with a bomb strapped to him, and you don't tell me?!"

"Sonny, this isn't the time." Jason defended her.

"Of course, now that her savior is back by her side she has no use for me. Jason was always meant to be Michael's father anyway, right? Well guess what Carly? It doesn't work that way. Michael knows that I'm his father; I raised him, I took care of him, and he loves me as his dad. No amount of fantasy or wishful thinking is going to change that!"

"You are going to back off now, or I'm going to lock you up in that interrogation room." Lieutenant Johnson threatened warming up to the ex Mrs. Corinthos.

"Oh please, the PCPD could never catch me on any legal charges so they're going to contrive a bogus one?"

"Enough…" Carly piped in holding up her cell phone. "It's him."

The entire department turned there attention to her as she answered.

"Are you okay, honey?" Carly asked her son attempting to hold back her tears.

"Mom, I'm fine. He blindfolded me so I wouldn't know where I was. I think he must have found a car abandoned on the side of the road; hotwired it or something. All I know is that he told me to count to 100 before taking off the blindfold, and that my cell could be found in the trunk."

"He's gone?" She questioned.

"Yeah, he's gone."

"It's okay, we know where you are and the direction he was headed. Do me a favor and lock yourself in the car. I'll be there soon."

"I will; do you think the Lieutenant would mind if I called his daughter?" He asked knowing Lieutenant Johnson was probably standing within ten feet of her.

Carly smirked at the Lieutenant and answered. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if Alyssa's hero called her to assure her he was okay."

He shook his head no. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that." He responded.

"I heard that." Michael responded. "I'll see you soon, mom."

"Let's go." Carly urged Jason as she stood up as soon as the call ended.

"I'm going with." Sonny told them.

"No, and I'm not fighting about this. You have the kid's on Monday; you'll see him then." She knew she was being harsh, but after the evening she had she wasn't sure she could handle the time in the car with her ex.

"You weren't going to tell me, were you?" He said as she stood with her back turned facing the station exit.

"You put him in a warehouse where he was shot, and now are backing the person responsible for the shooting. Michael's safety is _my_ responsibility now." She informed him before leaving.


	103. Chapter 103

"How are you doing?" Carly asked catching Michael cradling his sister in the nursery. After arriving home Jax brought Britni and Morgan back, and they shared some family togetherness with Bobbie and Lucas before going to bed.

"I'm fine." Michael responded.

"You don't have to play it off." Carly insisted.

"I'm not; it's not like I haven't been kidnapped before. I knew that I could handle it when I volunteered to go with him." Michael explained.

"So that's why…"

"And for my own selfish reasons." He interrupted her.

"Selfish?" She asked wondering the selfishness of putting himself in the line of fire.

"I couldn't imagine the worry I'd be experiencing if it would have been her taken instead." He replied. It was easier for him knowing that she was safe at home.

"If it's any consolation I think your selfishness paid off. I can't speak for them, but it seems you've warmed yourself to Alyssa's parents."

"Huh, I never counted on that, but I think I'll take it." Michael smirked.

"Michael, you do know that if you need to talk about it, at all, I'm here."

"I know, mom, but I swear there's no residual issues. I must have gotten that from you; how many hostage situations, kidnappings, fires, train wrecks, plane crashes, etc have you survived?"

"Too many." Jason answered for her standing in the doorway.

"Don't think it hasn't taken its toll." Carly added. After Michael was perceived dead following his kidnapping her grip on sanity was tested igniting a stay at Roselawn Psychiatric Center.

"You know, when you were in the hospital Jason told me that he was well aware of what you could and could not handle. I'm sorry that I scared you."

"We're proud of you. Your mom kept telling me that last night." Jason told him glancing over to Carly. "You handled the situation just fine, and you protected the people you cared about. Not only Alyssa, but everyone else in that store."

"He didn't want to hurt anyone." Michael responded.

"Yeah, well, Mac was contacting all the surrounded precincts last night, hopefully someone will pick him up and get him some treatment before he does hurt someone." Carly replied. "The best thing we can do is be grateful for what we have."

"And get ready for this baptism." Jason added.

"Mom, do you think we can pick up something for the Toys for Tots drive?" Michael requested thinking about the man's wish to give his children a happy Christmas.

"I think that's a great idea." She replied; she tended to give monetary donations to charities this time of the year, but liked the idea of the children getting involved.

**********

Caitlyn stared over at Dante as he suited up. "Do you need any help with that?" She asked as he fiddled with the tie.

"No, almost have it." He replied looking at himself in the mirror.

"Turn away." She insisted.

"What?"

"Don't look in the mirror, all it does it confuse you." Caitlyn explained.

He did as suggested and found that it was a lot easier when he wasn't watching himself do it backwards. "How did you figure out that trick? I assume you weren't putting your own tie on."

"No." She laughed. "I taught myself to French braid my own hair; trust me, you wouldn't think that was easier to do without a mirror, but once you know the basic mechanics of it you just do it."

"Huh." Dante responded pulling her in for a kiss. "Kind of like that?"

"Kind of." She smiled. "Why am I guessing the tie isn't a part of the typical Sunday get up?"

"Because it only comes out on the special occasions; weddings, funerals, and holy baptism."

"It was nice meeting Morgan yesterday." Caitlyn commented. "I mean before that went down, I'm just so thankful Michael is okay."

"We all are." Dante added. "I think Kristina really took to you."

"Kristina has hit that age where it's no longer cool to be hanging out at the mall with her mom and sister. Are you sure you want me being your sister's role model?"

"Just as long as you don't point her in the direction of dating someone like me."

"You mean a good looking, honest, intelligent, sweet, respectful, well-mannered guy? Wouldn't dream of it." She tugged on his tie to bring him in closer.

"Hey, everyone decent in here?" Zander asked knocking on the door.

"Yes, come on in." Caitlyn answered.

"Are you ready?" Zander questioned; they both looked fully prepared.

"Yeah, why? Are you nervous?" She observed.

"Cautious." He responded. "That whole stepping into the lions den thing."

"What?" Dante wasn't following.

"I can't imagine that I top the list of the Spencer's favorite ten people right now." He explained.

"You're not doing anything wrong. It's not like you're taking Cam away from Lucky." Caitlyn tried to appease her brother.

"I'm not sure they're going to see it that way."

***********

"What was that phone call all about?" Sam asked Lucky as soon as he returned to the living room.

"It was Mac. They caught the guy just North of Toronto. He's being sent to the PCPD for processing." Lucky explained.

"I talked to my mom; she was going to demand treatment at Shadybrook as a condition of the release." Sam added. "You still haven't told me about the phone call last night."

"That was Liz." Lucky replied which Sam had already figured. "They told Cam last night."

"How did he take it? Does he understand?"

"It sounds like it. She said he took it just fine; he even asked Zander to tuck him in and read him a story."

Sam didn't know how to respond. She had never been a fan of Liz, and the Jason and Jake situation made it worse. As she saw him wallowing in his own grief she wondered just how much he did want a child that would be him, and if he could handle her not being able to provide him that. "I suppose Zander is going to be there today."

"Carly invited him." Lucky answered. "They were good friends a while back."  
"Now that I didn't know. I thought Jason was always her go to guy whenever she needed anything."

"He took off for awhile, and let's be honest; Carly's never really been one to play nice with other women."

"No comment there." Sam said restraining herself from implying the lack of ability to seduce and manipulate another woman into getting her way. She knew such implication was reciprocal, and it was that reason they could be good friends or bitter enemies depending on the competition factor. "Although she has mellowed, and girl's night was actually a lot of fun."

"You sound surprised."

"I… I'll admit that growing up I didn't have a lot of female friends either."

Lucky smirked. "I would have never guessed."

"Liar." She accused her then pulled him in for a kiss before following him out to his vehicle.

**********

"What are you doing here on a morning like this?" Olivia asked Jax in the lobby of the MetroCourt.

"Making sure the security is extra tight. I don't want my brother anywhere near that church today." Jax explained.

"We have guards outside the doors, and one inside watching at all times just like the district attorney ordered. I promise it is taken care of. Just go, relax, and get that daughter of yours baptized." Olivia demanded.

"I need to stop by the airport first." Jax smirked.

"I don't suppose your had your jet flown out to Australia?" Olivia guessed.

"I haven't told Carly yet, but Lady Jane demanded that she be here for this."

"Does she know about…?"  
Jax nodded his head. He had gone into the grueling details that had transpired leading to Michael's shooting with her. It was heartbreaking for a mother to hear that her son was even remotely capable of his part in it, but she wasn't shocked.

"Okay, well go." She shoved him towards the door.

"I get it." He submitted. "Am I going to see you there?"

"I just have a few things to finish up here." She confirmed.

Jax drove himself down to the airport; he was anxious to see his mother knowing everything he did. She knew about the divorce and wasn't happy about it. She and Carly hit it off well, and she didn't think there was another woman out there that could put up with him the way she had. Being that she was the mother to his first born child was only another incentive for wanting the two to work out their problems.

"Mother!" Jax extended his arms out to her as she stepped from the jet.

Lady Jane hugged him back. "Now, where is that darling little girl you sent me pictures of?"

Jax smiled knowing that would be the first thing she asked for. "She's with her mother and brothers on their way to the church where we should be going, now."

"Well let's go then." She said hopping into the passenger's seat.

"Well… okay." He responded closing the door for her and walking around to the other side of the car.


	104. Chapter 104

Carly walked into the sanctuary to find Lulu in conversation with Father Coates.

"There's my Goddaughter." Lulu gushed as she spied Britni in her mother's arms. "We were just going over the arrangements."

"Wonderful; thank you again for doing this today, Father." Carly expressed. It wasn't a wide Catholic practice to baptize infants especially when neither parent were a part of the church, but the Father was more than willing to baptize the sister of Michael and Morgan Corinthos.

"I'm happy to welcome her to the Kingdom of God." He replied as Carly let him hold her. While shopping in South Carolina Carly had picked up a new baptism gown for her. She had thought about using the same one that had been passed from Michael to Morgan, but couldn't resist it.

"Oh good, we're not the last ones here." Lucas said entering the sanctuary with Bobbie and Joey.

"I told you we had plenty of time." Bobbie commented.

"And you were the one that had to go through five shirts and seven ties before finally deciding on what we had originally picked out last night." Joey added to Lucas.

"I just wanted to look good for my Goddaughter."

"You look fantastic." Carly confirmed, and gave her mamma and brother a hug. "I'm glad you could be here today, Joey."

"So this is the Joey I've heard so much about." Lulu cut in. "I was beginning to think you were a clever cover-up designed to keep people from asking too many questions."

Lucas smiled. "No, if that were the case his name would be Elvis."

"Hey! Elvis was my most successful relationship to date, I'll have you know."

"That's a little discouraging." Matt said coming in with Spinelli and Maxie. "Why haven't you told me about this guy?"

"Yeah, Lulu, why didn't you tell him?" Carly teased.

Lulu turned her head away trying to hide the rosy cheeks that were growing. "I… I'll tell you later."

"Why for are Stone Cold and the two young mister sirs not gracing us with their splendid company?" Spinelli questioned after seeing them right outside the hall.

"They offered to work in the usher capacity, you know, point people in the right direction." Carly answered.

Within moments the sanctuary started filling up; both Edward and Monica showed, as well as Luke and Tracy. Lucky and Sam followed shortly behind and were joined by Liz and the boys. Doctors Kelly Lee and Lainey Winters strolled in with Patrick Drake and sat next to Matt. Olivia and Johnny greeted Carly and the baby before taking a seat. Zander, Caitlyn and Dante walked in and after persuasion of Cameron sat behind them.

"I don't suppose you could spare a bloke the pain of sitting single with his father and step-mother?" Ethan flirted with Mercedes outside the sanctuary entrance.

She attempted to stay coy as she answered. "I suppose since I practically have the day off…" With Britni being handed off to person after person, and Robin home with Emma and her Papi, Mercedes had the day free to enjoy herself. Ethan linked arms with her and guided her down the aisle by Luke and Tracy. Kristina watched trying not to feel jealous over the crush she had developed for the Aussie.

"Hi Michael." A voice interrupted his observance of Kristina's reaction as Alexis, Kristina, and Molly took their seat.

"Lys?" He replied both surprised and pleased. "I didn't expect…."

"My dad is parking the car. It was his idea to come."

"Really?"

"You know, to thank you personally for yesterday." She explained.

"I told you I could win them over." Michael smirked. "Do you think they would mind if I walked you in now?"

"They may actually be okay with me sitting with you." She confessed.

"Should we make a run for it before they have time to object?" He took her hand and walked her in. Carly noticed the joy in her son's eyes as he neared the front row.

Morgan rolled his eyes as it seemed everyone was coupling off. "That's not going to happen to me, is it?"

Jason chuckled. "It's just a matter of time, but we should probably join your mother."

"It can't start yet."

"What? Why?"

"Jax isn't here."

Jason caught himself off guard when he realized that he had missed that fact. He had spent so many hours with Carly and her children that he slipped into that role effortlessly. He didn't want to admit it, but part of him was jealous that it would be Jax standing at the alter with Britni and her mother. "He should be here soon." Jason responded instead.

A few more parishioners took the seats in back after Jason and Morgan joined Michael and Bobbie in the front row. Father Coates was waiting for Carly to give the go ahead to start. Feeling impatient, she went to the lobby to wait herself.

"What took you so long?" Carly asked as the door swung open.

"I'm so sorry, I ran into traffic on the way back." He explained greeting her with a kiss on the cheek.

"On the way back from where?" She questioned.

"The airport, of course." Lady Jane answered for him stepping into the church.

Carly squealed as she saw her. "He didn't tell me."

"That's because I asked him not to; I wanted you to be surprised."

"That, I am." She admitted and then looked down to the infant in her arms. "Britni Jane, this is your grandmother."

"She's marvelous." Lady Jane commented as she was slipped into her arms. "Yep, that's the Jacks family jaw, and what the pictures didn't portray well enough is the Spencer's fiery eyes."

"She's going to be a heart breaker." Jax added.

"Look out world, here she comes." Carly warned and then lead them into the sanctuary to start the service.

**********

"How's Michael doing?" Claudia asked Sonny in concern. Ric was able to arrange some conjugal time between them outside the confines of the PCPD for an hour; he found there were still a couple people in the department that appreciated his work as district attorney and thus was able to call in some favors. The arrangement was a small hotel room with a guard on the other side of the door.

"I don't know." Sonny admitted.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Claudia questioned. News of the hostage situation was buzzing around the department the prior day.

"I haven't talked to him yet."

"Don't tell me bitch of an ex-wife is keeping you from him?!"

"Let's not talk about that." Sonny shook it off. "In fact, let's not talk about anything."

"I suppose time is a wasting, huh?" She responded pulling him in to make out. He let her pull him onto the mattress and rip his shirt from his chest. It hadn't been since the they renewed their vows that they could be intimate and he was willing to take full advantage of that.

**********

"I would now like to ask the parents and Godparents to step forward." The Father encouraged. Jason watched as Jax wrapped his arm around Carly's back while she carried their daughter. Lulu and Lucas approached the baptismal font with a prideful beam in their eye. Once the settled facing outwards Carly handed Britni off to Lulu. The crowd couldn't take their eye off of the precious girl as the priest read the renunciation of sin and both the parent's and Godparent's pledged to nurture her education of the word of God. He then asked the family and fellow parishioners to aide in the pledge.

A sea of "I do's" crossed the crowd.

Father Cates opened the font. He dipped the tip of his fingers into the holy water; a little splash caused the young child to wail in excitement. The onlookers laughed. Bobbie took the opportunity to whisper to Jason. "That's our girl."

_'Our girl'_ He thought. The baby girl that Carly always wanted from him, and he secretly wished for from her. Somewhere down the line their dreams were messed up. Jason convinced her that a life with Sonny was best for everyone, and he convinced himself that a family of his own was too risky for everyone.

"I baptize you in the name of the Father." He wiped his damp touch over her forehead. "Son." He continued. "And Holy Spirit." He said watering her head for the third time; then handed Lulu a small towel. Lucas came equipped with a white pillar candle. As the organ played Britni was transferred over to her mother. Jax used the towel to pat down the extra condensation. Her deep blue eyes starred into his in a loving gaze and he had no choice but to smile. The Godparents lit the candle from the standing Paschal candle and Lucas handed it over to Jax.

Father Coates looked to Carly to signify transferring the child over to his embrace. "I would like to introduce to you the newest member of the Kingdom of God, Britni Jane Jax."

Applause scattered, and getting into the celebratory mood Morgan let out a high pitched whistle. Hearing the claps among her family, Britni brought her own palms together a couple times and both grandmother's cooed.


	105. Chapter 105

**Author's note: I've noticed a couple of questions. First, court starts up again next chapter. Second is about the Dante story. When I started writing this I had heard rumors that Dante was an undercover cop but it wasn't until later that it was confirmed on the show. Pretty much, the story recognizes what happened on the show until about June of this year. From June until November a different chain of events happened; and besides the Dante secret coming out not much of importance. Thanks again for the reviews, I love reading each of them, they make me smile. Since picking up full time hours at work I haven't been writing as frequently but I do have what I want to happen in my head. Just a couple of spoilers for you: Trial will conclude and verdict will be in before Christmas Eve. For Christmas some of PC favorite come back to celebrate most with welcome arms, one… not so much. Someone turns up pregnant. Finally, on new years an engagement does not go according to plan. Enjoy! ~Becki **

"She is a ham, isn't she?" Carly gushed as she was surrounded by friends at Kelly's.

"I honestly don't know where she gets that from." Lucas said patting his sister's shoulder as she hung on to the lady of the hour.

"I'm so sorry I was late." Mike tried explaining himself. He had gotten so caught up with setting up for the reception that he had to rush to the church to be able to sneak in right after the service began.

"You were there; that's what's important." Morgan told him which was more than he could say for his father.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything. I know she's not actually my granddaughter, but that's not going to stop me from loving her as such." He said running his hand over her soft locks.

"She's honored to have you." Carly spoke for her; with the deaths of both her and Jax' father, even Alan Quartermaine, Mike was the closest one fitting that role for her.

"Mind if I take a seat?" Johnny asked Caitlyn who sat off to the side. Dante was wrapped up in conversation with his mother, and Zander was at another table putting a puzzle together with Cameron and Jake.

"Go ahead." She replied as it seemed he broke her concentration.

"It's weird, isn't it?" He observed.

"What's weird?"

"The family togetherness." He knew that's what she was entranced by; the sons and daughters, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, nieces and nephews, it was all alien to her. He knew what that was like; occasionally he got a taste of something more but growing up it was just him. His mother was dead, father crazy, and his sister was on the other side of the globe.

She inhaled and exhaled slowly; she was going through her own adjustment being in the apartment with both Zander and Dante. She enjoyed the company, but needed that time alone while she was out jugging to remind herself of who she was independent from anyone else. "I remember watching the sitcoms as a kid, and shaking my head, swearing that no real family was actually like that."

Johnny smirked. "Well, they're not the Cosby's, but… Besides just this week you've added a brother and nephew to yours."

"Thanks to you."

"What did I have to do with that?" Johnny argued.

"You saved my life; if you wouldn't have been there…"

Johnny pulled back; he couldn't tell her the reason she was shot in the first place was because his father's desire to give him the company he was reluctant to take over.

"Are you doing okay?" Dante asked Caitlyn after breaking away from his mother. "If you need to rest we can go."

"I'm fine." She insisted. "You can ask Johnny, I'm doing a great job of taking it easy."

"Um… ah, yeah." Johnny answered as their eyes starred him down.

"Dante." Kristina asked approaching the table. "Any idea of what your mom went to talk to my mom about?"

"No clue." He lied. "Why?"

"Curiosity." She admitted. Besides girl's night with Carly she hadn't seen them interact much. "Do you mind if I hang out here?"

"Pull up a seat." Caitlyn encouraged. Looking around the only people in her age group were her brother and his girlfriend who looked awfully comfy in their own company. Every so often someone would approach to see how Michael was doing. Morgan and Molly helped Mike set out the chili and rolls for lunch leaving it open for anyone to come up and grab some as they wished.

Zander found his early fear of being scorned by the Spencer's was exaggerated. Besides being approached by Audrey with some pointed questions about his true intentions of being a father and a few odd glances from a couple people while playing with the boys, he seemed to be embraced as part of the package.

"Hey Carly, Sam and I are going to be heading out pretty quick with the boys." Lucky approached his cousin with the goodbye. It was nearing Jake's afternoon lap time.

"I'm glad you could come. Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked not really wanting to think about the opening of the defense's case.

Lucky nodded tightening the grip on her hand, before saying the final so long to Britni who also appeared to be nearing the nap period of the day. Jason was returning from the kitchen after heating a bottle for her have before laying her down for a bit.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Carly asked Lady Jane.

"I don't know." She resisted. "She looks to comfortable there."

"Oh please." Carly replied sarcastically and then transferred her over to her grandmother. Lady Jane took the bottle from Jason and admired the view of her very first grandbaby nuzzling in her arms.

"We should probably open the gifts." Jax suggested before too many people needed to take off. Lucky was still sitting with Cam, Jake, Zander, and Liz as Cam refused to leave before finishing the puzzle. Carly asked her little helpers of the afternoon to hand them over. Morgan and Molly started with the cards which contained gift cards and money to go into her savings account. Edward had put a stock in her name which he guaranteed would worth a lot by the time she was old enough to use it.

"This is from me… or us." Lulu said giving Matt partial credit.

Carly opened it to find a pillow with Britni's birthing information on it; the time, height, weight complete with tiny hand and foot prints and her very first photo from the hospital.

"Here come the water works again." Morgan teased causing Michael to elbow him. He was right; Carly couldn't stop herself from crying. Jason stood by her side rubbing between her shoulder blades. It reminded her of the first moments of her daughter's life. The moments she missed and could never get back.

"Honey, you have a lifetime to make up for it." Bobbie reminded her daughter.

Carly sniffled one last time wiping the tears away.

"How about something that isn't going to make her cry this time." Lucas called for.

"My niece is worse than the baby." Luke teased.

"Oh no you didn't." Carly stood up from her stool.

"I haven't heard a peep out of her all day." Luke defended himself. It was true, beside the squeals of joy she seemed content just being in the presence of everyone there.

"Jake, why don't you bring Jax ours?" Liz volunteered her two-year-old before they had to leave. The blonde boy picked up the gift bag that his mother put together and walked it over to Britni's father awing the infant as he passed her.

Jax smiled and patted his head. "She's too young for you." He kidded. Jax pulled the string from the bow to open the gift. Amongst the tissue paper he unwrapped the book they had gotten for her. It was a children's book of bible stories. Liz had received the same one for Jake, and he loved it. "Thank you." Jax expressed.

"This one next." Molly handed it over to Carly. She and Jax were taking turns opening the presents.

"It's from my mother." Carly explained before ripping away the paper. She studied the Precious Moment's bible illustrated with pictures of the collector dolls.

"Here." Bobbie opened the front cover. Inside was a spot for the baptismal photo; Bobbie had written the church, date, and priest performing the service as well as the names of her parent's and Godparents.

"It's perfect, mamma." Carly gave her a hug and Jax opened the next gift. A couple people had left by the time that the last present was handed over to Carly.

"Who is it from?" Michael asked her.

"It's from Jason." She replied and looked to him wondering what was inside.

"Open it." He whispered to her. She did as commanded and tore away the paper to reveal a small jewelry box with a painting of Madonna and child. He motioned for her to keep going. Carly gently lifted the top on the box; inside was a gold chain which held a tiny ring with an etching of a cross, in the center was a yellow stone.

"It's citrine." Jason explained as she noticed the stone.

"Her…." Carly started.

"Birth stone." He confirmed. "It's a baby ring. I figured she could wear it until she starts attempting to take it off. When she outgrows it she can use the chain."

"I don't know what to say." She said with a tear in her eye.

"It is very thoughtful." Jax added.

"And all I got was the candle." Lucas whispered over to Joey whose fingers were interlocked with his. "No wonder he's typically first choice for Godfather."

"We'll figure out something else for Christmas." Joey assured him.

"Right, Christmas. It's not like she gave me much notice on this Godfather thing anyway."

"Thank you, everyone, for coming." Jax offered. "There's still cake to enjoy, please take some."

**********

"Mom, I don't understand why we had to leave like that. What did Olivia say to you?" Kristina asked Alexis as soon as they got back to the lake house.

"The party was breaking up." Alexis excused her behavior. "I didn't think you girls would mind."

"This is about dad, isn't it?" Kristina questioned. She knew that look her mom gave when a matter had to do with her father.

"Kind of, yes." She admitted. "Your dad wants to sit down with you and your brothers tomorrow after court."

"What about?"

"I'm not sure." Alexis lied. "Christmas, maybe. I'm going to leave it up to you, if you want…"

"I want to go." Kristina interrupted her. It wasn't often that her mother gave her that choice and she was going to jump on it. "Being that I'm on winter break I don't suppose I could go to trial?"

"No." Alexis responded adamantly.

"Why not? If I'm going to be a lawyer I should see the judicial system in action, right? Beside's I'd be learning from the best." She tried sucking up.

"That's sweet, Kristina, really, but no. Not when I'm against your former step dad as he's defending your father. Besides there are facts about this case that you should never know about." She answered starting with the chain of events that lead to the shot taken at her father, and the cover-up that surrounded her brother's injury.

"It's not like I don't hear all about it at school." Kristina argued.

"What are they saying?"

"Forget it." Kristina shut down.

"No, honey, what are they telling you at school?"

"Only that dad deserved to be shot at." She told her mother with tears in her eyes. That night changed the course of her family forever. As petrified as her mother already was about her spending time with her dad, that event only intensified it. Not only was she losing her brother, but any relationship with her father. Even now, things weren't the same as they were, they never could be. "And that the world would be a safer place without him in it."  
"Kris…"

"I know part of you feels that way too." Kristina added before going to her room.

"Kris…!" Alexis tried to stop her before crashing onto the couch. Her daughter wasn't wrong. She held a soft spot for Sonny, but it didn't take away from the pain she had experienced when her sister died from the explosion at his warehouse. She lived with that loss every day.

**********

"All set." Sam confirmed from the back porch. She had stayed with Jake as he fell asleep after Lucky read his story to him. Lucky and Cam used the time to go out back and throw the ball around for a bit.

"Dad, are you and Sam going to get married?" The six-year-old asked innocently.

Lucky looked to Sam who had shied away not knowing how to respond to that question herself. "Maybe, someday." He answered.

"I think you should." Cam gave his two cents worth.

"Why is that?" Lucky wondered.

"Because she's pretty, and you smile more when you're around her." Cam started to explain, throwing the ball a little harder for him. Sam stood off to the side smiling herself. "Besides if you do then I have two moms and two dads. I told mommy that last night, and then you can give me a little sister like Morgan has."

Sam felt like her heart was going to crash at that last part. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about the little girl that she had lost. Lucky didn't know how he should respond to the statement; he had no idea is son was thinking about that.

Instead Cam just continued. "I wonder if mom and daddy Zander will get together."

"Whoa what?" Lucky reacted throwing the ball extra hard over Cam's head.

"Nice throw." Cam commented.

"I'll get it." Sam volunteered.

"Wh… what makes you think your mom and Zander are going to get together?"

"I don't know. Then he would be around more." He explained. "Ever since you and Sam left for your trip mom has been sad; she seems happier when he is around, and he has the coolest sister."

"Head's up." Sam shouted towards Cam and passed the ball his direction. "I don't know about you two, but I'm cold out here."

"I think Sam's right, time to head inside slugger."

"Can we have hot cocoa?" Cam requested.

"I think we can manage that. You want a piggy back?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah!!" The boy responded eagerly. She bent over as he put his arms over her shoulders to pick him up and carry him inside.

***********

Once the party cleared Jason and Morgan aided by bringing the gifts to his truck leaving Carly and the baby with Jax and Lady Jane.

"I was going to try to talk you into giving it another shot with my son." Lady Jane told Carly in a private corner.

"I'm sorry." Carly expressed; she didn't know how else to put it.

After careful observation of the afternoon there were things that became very apparent. The first of which was that there were going to make magnificent co-parents together, secondly, they were more at ease apart, and third, Carly, at least, was madly in love with someone else. "Don't be sorry; I'm just going to have to settle for you being my favorite of the ex Mrs. Jacks'. What I am sorry about is the pain that each of my boys have caused you."

"I don't hold either one of them responsible for the night Michael was shot." Carly insisted. "Just the cover-up. Claudia should have never been given the chance to go anywhere near my children after what she did."

"I agree." Lady Jane admitted. "But I also agree with Jax' decision to protect _you_."

"Are you telling me you would have stood up for it if John would have put your boys at risk to save you?"

"No, not at all."

"Are we ready?" Jax asked his mother after coming out from the kitchen helping Mike take care of the clean-up.

"I'm ready." Lady Jane replied.

"Carly, thank you for letting us take Britni tonight." Jax conveyed his gratitude.

"I want her to get to know her grandmother." Carly replied. With Lady Jane in town for until after Christmas they had talked about letting her watch the infant while Carly and Jax were at trial. It was hard enough for her knowing the part her son, Jerry, played in the botched hit, let alone having to hear the distorted story of events from the defense.

"Have a good night." Jax hugged her.

"You too, I will see you tomorrow." She responded and started to head outside to the truck waiting for her.

"Carly, wait." Mike stopped her from the kitchen. He was holding out a small box.

"What's that?"

"It's a little something from Sonny." He admitted.

"I didn't think Sonny did little something's." She teased and then opened it. "It's gorgeous." She pulled out the Rosary beads.

"He wanted her to have it."

"I'll let him know we received it. I appreciate you letting me throw this here."

"I'm glad I could be a part of this. I know full well that you could have rented out a much more extravagant venue at the MetroCourt."

"This was perfect." She responded. "I should probably…"

"Take care." Mike excused her.

She went to the truck and found an anxious Morgan. "Let's go!"

"Are you sure Ryker's parents are okay with this?" Carly inquired.

"Positive." Morgan assured her. After finding out Michael was going to be out late with friends and Britni was spending the night with her dad, Morgan had asked if it was okay to do a sleepover at his friend's place. Carly wasn't going to argue; it also meant not worrying about having the nanny for the next day.

Carly and Jason shared loving glances between them; they were just as anxious as Morgan was to drop him off at the friend's house. "Do you have a change of clothes with you?"

"Already in my backpack." He replied; he was hoping early on for this to happen.

"Somebody came prepared." Jason commented.

"Don't get into any trouble." Carly warned him before kissing his forehead once they arrived at the Swenson's.

"I promise."

"And you have both mine and Jason's cell number…"

"Memorized and in my contacts. Now can I go?"

"Yes." Carly laughed. He was gone before she added the 'have fun' part. "Now it's our turn."

"What's you pleasure?"

"Am I going to sound like a complete loser if I say beer and cheesy snacks at home?" She asked remembering back to the days when they spent the whole night out at Jake's.

"I sure hope not, because that sounds like the best idea I've heard all day." Jason confessed. She held his hand between him shifting gears until arriving at the house. The more he stayed there the more it truly did feel like his home; Carly kept teasing that all he needed to do to make it official is move his pool table into the game room and they were set.

"I'm full of good ideas." She smiled once all the presents were unpacked.

"Oh?" He questioned. "Like?"

"This one." She replied and planted her lips against his sinking onto the couch.


	106. Chapter 106

"All rise for Judge Sabrina Hackett." The bailiff announced the reconvention of trial. As the judge sat so did the attendants.

"Mr. Lansing, your first witness."

"I would like to call Mr. Jasper Jacks." Ric announced. A bit stunned, Jax rose from his seat to approach the stand. As soon as Jax was sworn in Ric stood sporting his cocky grin. "How are you doing today, Mr. Jax?"

"I'm well." Jax replied wondering how that anything to do with his testimony.

"How was your weekend?" Ric asked, again seemingly straying from the topic.

"It had its ups and downs." He responded honestly.

"I heard your mother flew in from Australia." Ric continued the small talk.

"Objection." Alexis called. "Relevance?"

"Mr. Lansing?"

"I promise I will be getting to it shortly." Ric replied.

Judge Hackett rolled her eyes. "Very shortly."

"Yes, my mother flew in from Australia for my daughter's baptism."

"That's wonderful, nothing like a joyful family affair this time of the year." The lawyer commented. "How did Uncle Jerry enjoy the event?"

"Excuse me?" Jax questioned.

"Jerry Jacks is your brother, correct?"

"That's correct."

"Which would make him your daughter's uncle?"

"Technically."

"Has your brother met your daughter?" Ric pressed.

"No." Jax responded.

"Why is that?" Ric questioned. Carly sat listening on fuming at the use of her daughter to support the defenses testimony. Jason offered his hand, letting Carly squeeze tighter and tighter as he continued.

"My relationship with my brother has been recently strained."

"Mr. Jerry Jacks testified to the fact that at the time of the shooting you were in conversations with your brother about going into business with each other. What changed since then?"

"I found out that my brother was in business with the woman that had my step-son shot." Jax appealed to the jury.

"When?"

"What?" Jax clarified.

"When did you find out about your brother's involvement?"

"My brother sent me a DVD explaining the chain of events this past March." Jax replied.

"Mr. Jacks, you mentioned that it was your step-son that was shot. Are you close?"

"Yes, I love him like my own."

"Really? You would protect him the same way you would protect your very own daughter?" Ric clarified.

"He's a young man who has strongly expressed some semblance of autonomy; but yes, I would protect him to the best of my ability."

"Is that what you were doing when you suggested he to move into the same house as the woman who you claim ordered the shot that left him in a coma while he was recovering?"

Jax shook his head trying to keep the jury from seeing too much. "My wife was sick; he was volatile and wanted to live with his father. I was afraid the shock of finding out Michael's stepmother put him in a coma could have killed her."

"And you couldn't tell the father, uncle, or police what you 'knew' about the defendant?"

"Not without compromising my wife and unborn child." Jax replied.

"So you made the decision to risk the safety of your step-son." Ric assumed. "Or did you not believe my client was an imminent threat?"

Jax looked to Alexis hoping for the cue to how to proceed.

"Mr. Jacks I'm just trying to understand. You claim you love your step children just as much as you love your own flesh and blood daughter; you claim to have known about Mrs. Corinthos involvement since March, prior to the surgery that brought your stepson out of his coma, and allowed him to live with Mrs. Corinthos during his recovery anyway. You say that Mrs. Corinthos is a threat, yet you did nothing to protect your step children from her, but your brother is too much of a threat to meet his first born niece?"

Jax scoffed at the summary as if it were that simple.

"Is your brother more of a threat to your children then the defendant is?"

He sat in moments of silence.

"Mr. Jacks, please answer the question." The judge addressed him.

"Yes, but…" He tried to explain.

"No further questions." Ric interrupted him. Jason held onto Carly knowing she was moments away from throttling Ric right then and there.

"Ms. Davis your cross testimony." The judge called for.

"Mr. Jacks, what exactly did the DVD you received say?" Alexis asked reining in on the point.

"Jerry started by rambling about a game he had played on Claudia. He had set it up where there were a series of DVDs hidden throughout Sonny's house that she was supposed to find. He claimed that while doing this it hadn't occurred to him the damage the information on those DVDs could do to me and Carly. And thus decided that he had to let me know that he was working with Dr. Ian Devlin on a large shipment; Claudia was going to help them with the landing of it but only if they would go through with a hit on her behalf. She had picked the date and location that the shot were to take place. Jerry admitted that he opted out, but Devlin couldn't pass it up. Dr. Ian Devlin took the shot on Claudia's orders."

"Whatever became of this DVD?" Alexis asked him.

"I struggled with whether or not I could tell my wife, and came to the conclusion that it would hurt her too much."

"How did your wife find out about Claudia's involvement?"

"On November 24th Jerry came back to Port Charles and presented Carly with a disk of her own. She watched it, and… and the result of which almost killed her."

"Does this look like the DVD that she had played?" Alexis asked holding up a disk with the swirled pattern. Jax nodded. "I'd like to play this disc as evidence."

"Objection your honor." Ric spoke up. "The prosecution has had ample time to present their case, and has heard live testimony from the witness on that disc."

"Overruled." The judge decided. Alexis pulled up a television set to face towards the jury.

"I can't do this." Carly gasped, whispering to Jason. She got up to walk out of the courtroom before the play button was pressed. Jason wanted to follow her, but part of him really wanted to know what Jerry said. He knew this was the DVD that ultimately put his best friend in a coma. Having heard it over and over Lucky got up and chased after her.

"Carly…" He held his arms out for her to drop into. She stood as he held her up weeping into his embrace. It was hitting her all over again as she was back in South Carolina lost in her own dreams afraid of falling back into the darkness and never being able to see her family again. He knew Alexis' motivation for showing the disc; that jury needed to hear repeatedly what Claudia was capable of. She felt herself starting to calm down, figuring his statement had to be finishing soon. "Can I get you some water?" Lucky offered her.

She nodded her head, not sure what may come out if she tried to speak. Down the hall the beverage table was set up where he grabbed a couple bottles of Evian. "You've seen it?" She finally said once her nerves settled down.

"Alexis and Mac used it to get the warrant for Jerry's arrest." He explained. "I overheard it from Mac's office, and have probably watched it a couple dozen times since."

"While you were tracking down Jerry?"

"Yeah, I kept imagining watching you see it; feeling how you must have felt. If you would have died, I probably would have killed that man with my bear hands." Lucky admitted.

"How's it going?" Jason asked her and then explained. "Court's recessing for lunch."


	107. Chapter 107

"You bastard!" Carly shouted as Ric left the courtroom.

"I get that you're angry." Ric replied trying to validate her feelings to keep from escalating them.

"You do? That's great, Ric. You're using _my daughter_ to defend the woman that put _my son_ in a coma!?!?"

"Carly, not here." Sonny tried to placate her.

"Oh, don't you start with me." She rebutted. "As if threatening to take Morgan away from me wasn't enough for you! No, now… now you're moving on to the other two."

"I'm not trying to hurt your kids." Ric replied calmly not sure the point she was making.

"Just trying to get the bitch that nearly killed Michael free to finish the job!" Carly steamed.

"She wouldn't hurt Michael on purpose." Ric approached her. Carly could have sworn she blacked out when her arm involuntarily swung out in an open slap across his face; much like it had when she found out that Sonny protected Kate from the shot. Jason watched not sure if he should calm her down on cheer her on.

"Carly…" Her mother intervened as a lobby of onlookers crowded around to see what had happened. The echo of the slap still penetrated the halls. She stood in silence visible shaking in anger.

"Carly, look at me." Jason finally spoke up and she did as instructed.

"Please just go." Bobbie appealed to both brothers.

"It's over." Lucky addressed the crowd, cueing them to disperse.

"Thank you, I got it." Jason saw the 'do you have this covered?' expression on Lucky's face before he left for the cafeteria with Sam.

She didn't say anything as she sat down on the bench next to Jason. Carly used the silence to calm herself knowing it was going to take more than her typical ten seconds to do the job. Once it looked like she was ready to talk Jason started.

"I should have followed you." He insisted.

"It's not your fault. I knew today was going to be hard, and Ric capitalizing on Jax' issues with Jerry, and then the DVD…" She took a breath. "It brought that evening back. I mean, I don't know how many nightmares I've had. I could have lost Britni."

"I could have lost you." Jason whispered pulling her into his chest. Watching the DVD and hearing Jerry's voice, his plea, Jason could picture the events unfold leading to her making the phone call.

"But we didn't." Carly insisted. "I'm here, Britni is here, and that's what is important."

"You're right." He held her.

**********

"That was… intense." Matt commented in the cafeteria.

"Leave it to Ric to sink to a new all time low." Sam responded sitting with Lulu and Lucky.

"How was she doing before…?" Lulu asked her brother. She had caught him sneaking out behind Carly.

He let out a chuckle. "About that well. No, I don't know, we were talking and she seemed to be okay, and then…"

"I can't wait for this trial to be over." Lulu confessed. "I don't even care what the verdict is anymore."

"I do." Sam admitted. "I didn't track Jerry down the whole Southern Hemisphere for Claudia to get released with less than a hand slap. She deserves that life sentence, and Ric is a heartless douche if he thinks otherwise."

"Sonny doesn't seem to agree." Matt noted.

"I'll give Sonny the benefit of the doubt that he's only wallowing in his own guilt to see the truth." Lucky responded; he was willing to give his father's old time friend that much.

"What is the PCPD going to do with all of this?" Matt questioned.

"All of what?" Lucky asked for clarification.

"The illegal activity that everyone has been involved with. Jerry's part in the shooting. Sonny's role in taking Johnny Zacchara hostage and threatening him. Nikolas hiding a confession. Jax abetting his brother."

"I guess it's really up to Alexis and Mac how they chose to proceed; what I do know is that Jerry has been giving a deal for his testimony. I wouldn't mind charges being tossed against Sonny, but I'd doubt that they would stick." Lucky explained.

"What do you mean?" Lulu asked.

"Well, first we'd have to convince Johnny to press the assault charges, and I doubt since Sonny is signing his paychecks he's willing to do that."

"I feel so much safer knowing this is our judicial system in practice." Matt responded sarcastically.

"It's not perfect, but it's designed this way for a reason." Sam said reminding herself just as much as the others at the table knowing that it had protected her on a few occasions.

**********

"How are you holding up?" Alexis approached Jax in line.

"Ask me that when the verdict comes in." Jax replied. "I didn't ruin this for you, did I?"

"No. Ric is getting desperate. Even if Jerry is a despicable human being it doesn't take back what Claudia did. He has yet to make the argument that she didn't do it."

"Can you do me a favor and convince Carly of that?" Jax pleaded.

"Is it bad that I wanted to cheer her on?" Alexis teased.

"All I was missing was the popcorn." Luke quipped from behind them, and then spoke to Jax. "I thought you would have learned your lesson of underestimating Carolyn."

"I get now that I should have told her." Jax replied. His testimony didn't make sense to himself. He never meant to put Michael in harms way, but he did it, and Ric was right, he couldn't imagine himself ever taking that kind of chance with his daughter.

"Hindsight is always 20/20." Luke excused him. As far as he was concerned Carly and her children were safe and Claudia was going to be getting the justice she deserved. He was just going to sit back and watch it unfold.

***********

People filtered back into the court room as lunch concluded. Carly used the time to make a few phone calls to see how her kids were doing. Britni was resting comfortably in her grandma's arms making gurgle noises for her mom to hear. She went back to the first row of benches to watch the case until its conclusion.

The red mark on Ric's cheek had faded inconspicuously as he sat next to Claudia in the courtroom. Once everyone seated after the judge took her post Ric called his next reluctant witness a Ms. Samantha McCall. She swore on the bible to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

"Are you going to ask me how my weekend was too?" Sam asked coldly to the defense.

Ric chuckled knowing this was going to be a feat. "Ms. McCall, you've had several run-ins, so to speak, with Mr. Jerry Jacks, am I correct?"

She shook her head. "Yes, but I don't understand how this has anything to do with Claudia putting a hit on her husband."

"Just stick to answering the questions, please." Ric informed her. "What was the nature of such interactions?"

"I don't understand the question." Sam responded. "Could you be more specific?"

"In spring of 2008 there was an issue at the hospital, do you remember that?"

"Yes." She answered simply.

"Could you tell the jury what that problem was?"

"Counterfeit drugs were replacing the real ones. People were getting sick, and my cousin could have died from a dose of placebos following brain surgery." Sam responded.

"You had an idea of who was behind that, correct?"

"Jerry Jacks has already admitted in open court to shipment dealings he had with Dr. Devlin. You don't need me to collaborate the story."

"No, of course not, but you took it upon yourself to investigate Mr. Jacks' involvement?"

"Yes. The PCPD needed more evidence to pursue to pursue the lead any farther, so I attempted to obtain that."

"And your mother was dating Mr. Jacks at the time, am I correct?"

"My mom has the worse taste in character when it comes to her love life." She replied staring Ric down directly.

He ignored the apparent stab. "Did you get close to getting the evidence needed?"

"Fairly."

"And when you did he brought to onto a boat rigged to explode, correct?"

"Yes." Sam answered ignoring the impulse to tell him to read the police report.

"Mr. Jerry Jacks tried to kill you?"

"Apparently."

"The daughter of the woman he was dating?"

"We've already established that." Sam replied.

Ric turned to face the jury. "So Jerry was willing to personally take kill his lover's daughter and yet we've heard him claim over and over again that he wouldn't do the job of taking out Mr. Corinthos because of the link to his brother's wife? A brother that is so close to him that he won't even allow him to meet his niece."

"Jerry Jacks is a demented piece of trash, but that doesn't mean…!"

"No further questions, your honor." Ric proudly cut her off getting her to jump exactly how he wanted her to.

"That doesn't mean he had anything to do with what happened…!"

"Ms. McCall, you'll have your turn to explain in cross examination." The judge addressed her.

"Your honor, may I request a short recess to confer with the witness?" Alexis asked in hopes of calming her down.

"Permission granted. We will reconvene in ten minutes." Judge Hackett announced.


	108. Chapter 108

"This is good, right?" Claudia asked Ric as chatter filled the courtroom.

"It's establishing reasonable doubt." Ric answered. "Tomorrow is going to be the real test."

"Why, what's happening tomorrow?" Claudia questioned.

"I doubt either one of you want to know." Ric addressed both her and Sonny who was listening on.

"I still think you should put me on the stand." Sonny insisted.

"It's too risky." Ric shook his head no. "Just trust me, I know I'm not making friends here, but it is to your favor."

"How did you find out about Lady Jane's arrival anyway?" Sonny questioned him.

"Ah…" He hesitated in admitting it out loud. "I talked to Molly on the phone last night. She went on and on about the baptism."

"Okay, now that's just sick." Claudia commented. Sonny wasn't kidding when he said that they needed someone with no scruples to win this thing for them.

"Please don't tell Alexis I told you that?" Ric begged; he wasn't exactly proud of it.

"You don't want a matching bruise on the other cheek?" Sonny kidded.

***********

"Ms. Davis, are you ready?" The judge asked.

"Yes, your honor."

"Ms. McCall, please take the stand."

Sam came forward after a much needed conversation with her mother where Alexis insisted that she did not do anything wrong; she just needed to keep her head cool and answer a couple more questions.

"After assisting the PCPD in the investigation of the counterfeit drugs you decided on a career change, correct?"

"Not change so much as some kind of direction; after losing my job as host of Everyday Hero's I needed to figure something out. My instincts were right in that case, and I came to realize that I could do some good as a private investigator." Sam answered.

"Have you investigated Mr. Jacks since then?" Alexis asked.

"When the boat exploded Jerry was declared dead; it wasn't until this past April that I knew he was alive. I was approached around Thanksgiving into looking into his whereabouts based on information he had on Claudia's role in the shooting."

"Were you about to locate him?"

"Yes, a team was able to track him; he was resistant to come back to Port Charles, but he did." Sam explained leaving out a lot of the story.

"Based on your history with Mr. Jacks was it hard to believe his claim?"

"I hate Jerry, that's no secret, and as much as I would like to see him behind bars for the things he has done, I do believe his story. I was also involved in locating that link between Claudia and Devlin, and I have no doubt that she ordered the hit against her husband that got Michael Corinthos shot."

"Thank you, Ms. McCall, no further questions."

***********

"We should get you home." Jason encouraged Carly as soon court dismissed for the day.

"I'll bring Britni right over." Jax added hoping to help.

"Thank you both, but really, I'm fine." Carly replied watching as everyone around her was walking on eggshells as though she was moments away from breaking.

"I think they are right, sis. It was a long emotional weekend, between a long and emotional trial. Go home, take a bubble bath, sip on some wine, and have a little quality time with your daughter and…" Lucas stopped and looked up at Jason.

"And what are you going to do?" She asked her brother.

"Mom invited me and Joey over for the afternoon." He replied shocked at the offer.

"Lucas, seriously, with the guys I've brought home she can't object to a gorgeous aspiring doctor."

"I guess you have a point there." Lucas smiled.

"Hey, wait a minute." Jax chirped in.

Carly ignored the comment to give Lucas a hug. "I promise to take it easy, since you asked so nicely."

Jason and Jax looked to each other flabbergasted. "How do we get him to stick around?" Jax whispered towards Jason.

Jason shrugged his shoulders wondering the same thing. Getting Carly to listen without argument was not an easy task and Jason was going to take advantage of it by getting her home as quickly as possible.

"Would you like me to prepare that bubble bath?" Jason volunteered as soon as they got back to the house.

"Only if you join me." She replied. "And I can see from your facial expression that's a no."

"That's not my thing." He grimaced.

"No, your thing is riding around on your bike until you stop thinking. My question is when do I get the chance to go with you?"

The thought of riding around town with Carly clutching onto his back made him smile; if they weren't expecting snow that evening he would have been tempted to invite her out then. "Soon; when we get the right weather for it."

"Really? You would do that?" She sounded surprised.

"Yeah."

"I just assumed it was a time out sort of thing for you. A time to forget the world."

"Most of time it is."

"And those other times?" She inquired.

"For fun." He admitted. Lately, though, he had been getting his fun in different ways. "Can I ask you something?"

"Why do I have the feeling that this has nothing to do with riding a motorcycle?" She observed his composure. "Anything."

"How are you feeling about the boys being over at Sonny's right now?" He asked; after what happened at trial he had figured that she would have scratched and clawed her way into Sonny's place to keep the boys away from him.

"I…ah, I think it needs to happen." Carly confessed. "And I should probably tell you."

"Tell me what?" He knew there was something she wasn't telling him.

"Care to sit down?" She offered the spot next to her. He didn't figure he would need it when he sat, but it gave him the opportunity to wrap his arms around her.

"What's going on?"

"Michael, Morgan, and Kristina are about to find out about their big brother." Carly responded.

"Huh?" Was all he could mutter.

*********

Johnny sat out at the Harbor watching the boats dock. Sonny was expecting a small shipment coming in that he wanted taken care of personally. "What are you doing out on a night like this?" He asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Caitlyn asked slowing down and pulling out her headphones.

"I didn't know it was now a nighttime ritual; especially with the expected snowfall." Johnny pressed.

"It's getting harder and harder to sneak out in the morning." She admitted.

"The wardens left the key this evening?"

"I convinced Zander to spend some time with Liz and Cam, and Dante…"

"Is over at Sonny's with Liv and the kids, I know." He interrupted her. "How do you suppose that's going?"

"We suspect that Morgan will be thrilled and Michael mortified. Kristina is the wildcard."

"How so?"

"She likes Dante, but already feels left out of her father's life; knowing the time Dante has been able to spend with Sonny as an employee might not sit well with her." Caitlyn answered after talks with Dante of similar nature.

"She's better off." Johnny spoke from his own experience. He knew a life in the mob was no place for a child to grow up.

"And I'm sure on some level she understands that. Am I interrupting something?" She noticed his sudden lack of attention.

"Kind of." He answered. "Just give me two minutes."

"Actually I should get going." She motioned towards her trail.

"Cait…" He attempted to stop her not comfortable with the idea of her being out on her own. Instead he had to deal with the loading dock.

***********

"Hi dad!" Both Michael and Kristina greeted him with a hug in the entry. Michael was asked to pick up Morgan from his friend's house and Kristina from the Lake House.

"Morgan…" Sonny extended his arms in the direction of his youngest. He approached slowly, and reluctantly encased his arms around him.

"I heard Dante would be here." Morgan replied.

"He's in the other room." Sonny explained causing Morgan to dart off into the den finding both Dante and Olivia seated on the couch. He ran to Dante giving him a hug and sitting on his lap.

"What is this about?" Michael asked his father as they strolled in behind.

"Take a seat and I'll explain." Sonny replied. "Would anyone like something to drink? There's soda and juice in the fridge."

"No, we're okay." Kristina responded for them.

"Are you sure, Olivia?"

"I'm good, Sonny, I think you should take a seat." She insisted pointing to his empty chair. He did as suggested and starred awkwardly at his children.

"Is someone going to say something?" Michael asked breaking the silence.

"I'll go." Olivia volunteered. "I don't know how much you have been told but your father and I had a relationship a long time ago."

"Didn't you go from dating her to Kate back in high school?" Michael inquired.

"Yes." He answered simply.

"Are you trying to tell us that old sparks are flaring up again?" Kristina asked attempting to figure out the point.

"No, that's not it." Sonny answered. Although he didn't understand why, she was very attached to John Zacchara, and he John's sister.

"So…?" Morgan asked finally participating in the conversation.

"Sonny didn't know it, but I got pregnant." Olivia told them.

"With his child?" Michael assumed.

"His son." She replied looking over to Dante.

"His…? Oh!" Kristina was the first to place it. "Oh my God!"

"You're my brother?!" Morgan responded ecstatically looking back at Dante who nodded his head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know until very recently." Dante answered.

"Are you sure?" Kristina questioned. "I mean not that I don't completely see it, but has a DNA test been done?"

"A DNA test wouldn't be required." Olivia assured her.

"Well…congrats dad." Michael finally spoke up. "How many women have you managed to knock up? I can think of six off the top of my head, any other illegitimate children out there?"

"Michael, I didn't know…" Sonny attempted to defend himself.

"No, I get it now. You not wanting me to be a part of the business that had nothing to do with my safety and more to do with wanting your progeny to take over. I mean, you couldn't have a Quartermaine inheriting your life's work."

"You don't want to be a part of the business." Morgan snapped in disgust.

"I never wanted any of my children getting blood on their hands." Sonny retorted. "I found out less than a week ago."

"Right." Michael responded sarcastically.

"Michael, maybe we should take a walk." Kristina added.

"Nah, I wouldn't want to ruin the bonded time with your _real_ brother." He stated before getting up and walking towards the exit.

"You are my real brother." She stated. "You are the brother I grew up with and protected me since before I could speak. I love you, and nothing, nothing at all can change that."

Michael shook his head and walked out needing the time alone.


	109. Chapter 109

"I didn't see that one coming." Jason admitted after listening to Carly tell Olivia's tale. "The undercover cop meant to bring Sonny down is actually his long lost son?"

"That's what I'm telling you, and I know I should have said something but with the threat of the business Dante wasn't sure he wanted anybody knowing." Carly explained.

"Why now?"

"The shooting over at the garage pretty much proved the secret was out." She replied.

"Anthony was trying to take out Sonny's heir?" Jason questioned finally getting that last piece of the puzzle.

"It was Anthony?" Carly asked.

"Not a doubt in my mind. I wonder how he figured it out… Unless that was what Frankie Mendes went to tell him." The light bulb went off in his head.

"Okay, wait… Are you telling me that Anthony Zacchara is going after Sonny's children?" Carly suddenly felt her stomach turn.

"No, not like that. He's clearing the way for Johnny to take over the business."

"But Johnny doesn't want the business." Carly argued.

"I think, I really think Anthony is figuring that out, and the hit on Montague supposedly ruffled his feathers."

"What?" Carly questioned in concerned.

"Don't worry about it; it's not our concern anymore." He replied letting her rest her head against his chest.

"And that's why you're keeping yourself up to date on all of Sonny's dealings?"

"Just to make sure it stays 'not our concern.'"

"But that is." She replied, smiling as she heard the doorbell ring knowing her daughter was on her way over.

"Let me get it, you rest." Jason insisted, getting up before she had the opportunity to resist. He returned momentarily with her daughter cradled in his arms asleep. Jax followed him in.

"Grandma must have done a good job of wearing her out." Carly commented.

"Word of advice; never challenge a woman from the outback." Jax smirked. "Britni never stood a chance."

Jason let Jax and Carly have a couple minutes to themselves as he went to the nursery to lay the baby in her crib.

"Have you heard from Alexis how long it's going to take before…?" Carly inquired about the divorce papers.

"Yeah, there's still a couple small details that she wants to go over once the trial is through."

"Okay, well, whatever you want."

"I know." He sympathized. "And I swear I'm not dragging this out on purpose. You are moving on with your life, and I…"

"What?" Carly read the lines between his hesitation. "Are you seeing someone, Jax? Look, I obviously have no basis for judging, I'm just curious."

"I don't know what you would call it, and I don't want to say anything until I know for sure." Jax replied. "I shouldn't be imposing on you, so I will see you tomorrow."

"Wait, Jax!" She sat up hearing the front door shut behind him, and then said to herself. "Don't tell me it's Alexis?"

**********

"Long time no see." Caitlyn invited her visitor into her apartment.

"I had to make sure you got home okay." Johnny explained his presence.

"Since when did you declare yourself my protector?"

"I didn't, you did." He smirked.

"Oh really?"

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten your gratitude in me saving your life? I know you have issues in accepting help, but…"

"You know what's funny? That same morning Dante and I were talking."

"Yeah, that is pretty funny." He teased her.

"You shut up." She playfully pushed him onto the couch and sat down next to him.

"Are you cold?" Johnny asked noticing her shivering slightly.

"Maybe a little."

"Here." He wrapped her throw blanket around her. "What was so funny about your conversation with Dante?"

"Okay, maybe 'funny' isn't the right word. Ironic maybe, but I never know when you can actually use the word ironic."

"All I know is that it is not talking rain on your wedding day or a free ride that you've already paid."

"How about the good advice that you just didn't take?" She joked along with him. "He made the comment that morning that he didn't think I could lean on someone if my life depended on it, and then I was shot, and…"

"If that's humor, it definitely falls into the morbid variety. Why? Why is it so hard?"

"We were discussing that too." She admitted.

Johnny brushed a stray hair away from her face and noticed a slight elevation in temperature. "What was it like for you?"

"My childhood?" She guessed.

"No, menopause. Of course your childhood." He responded.

"Why do you even care?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Maybe because I understand what it is like growing up with a mentally instable parent. I know it was different for you. I get that you weren't locked up in a mansion with 24 hour supervision."

"And I didn't watch a parent die in front of me." She had found out that much of Johnny's history.

"Yes you did. It was slower, but eventually it all unfolded before you."

"By the time she took her own life I had already gone through the full grieving process that all I had left was relief." She admitted and then chuckled. "Does that make me horrible?"

He shook his head no.

"She was in and out of mental hospitals since I was five. At least that's when I started to remember it. There was a time before that when I actually idolized her. I wanted to be her; she was smart, and beautiful, and had this charisma about her. Do you know the Rick Nielson song 'I want you to want me?'"

"I have a vague recollection of it."

"I could have sworn my mother wrote it. She was that intense in just about every relationship she ever had; especially with me. She needed me to depend on her, but she was never around when I could have used the support, but I picked myself up and I kept going, and learned that I didn't actually need her. This, of course, just made matters worse for her. The more I withdrew the worse her swings got."

"And thus the self perpetuating cycle." Johnny concluded. "It's not your fault."

"I know that." She insisted. "It's not your fault either; your mom, the family you ran away to live with… me."  
"You know?"

"That your father had me shot? Yeah, well, there's more in this pretty little head than you think."

"Whereas it is a pretty head; I never meant to insinuate I underestimated your intelligence." Johnny clarified. "I hoped that you'd never have to know."

"Oh wow." Caitlyn noticed the wind blowing the heavy snow fall outside her window.

"What?" Johnny inquired his attention focused on her.

She pointed towards the dinning room window. "I think you may just be stuck here this evening."

***********

"Michael, where are you going?" Sonny asked walking out into the blizzard.

"Home!" Michael insisted.

"You're not driving in this."

"I don't belong here." Michael argued.

"Yes you do, Michael. Our past does not change because I find out I had a son 25-years-ago. One of the proudest days of my life was the first day you called me dad. I will treasure that memory forever. We don't share the same DNA, but we chose each other and that means more to me than you could ever understand. You are my son, and could never love you as anything but such."

Michael wrapped his arms around his dad trying to hold the tears back. "Did I sound like a complete moron?"

"Not a complete one." Sonny smiled. "Are you ready to go inside?"

Michael followed him inside claiming it was the wind causing his eyes to water. "I'm sorry, all of you; Dante especially, I over-reacted."

"You think?" Morgan teased.

"Like I said, I'm sorry. Dante, you have been nothing but great to all of us. You've stepped up and acted like a big brother long before finding out you were one."

"I didn't mean to tread on your water." Dante finally spoke up.

"You haven't. I've been all over the place since waking up from the coma; I wasn't the brother that I was supposed to be, especially to Morgan, and I'm glad he had someone." Michael admitted.

"You're still my favorite." Morgan confessed to Michael sliding out of Dante's lap to give him a hug. He agreed with Kristina. Michael had been there for him from day one.

"Dad, this is it, right?" Kristina asked. "There isn't another dozen Corinthos offspring out there waiting to be claimed?"

"Not that I'm aware of; of course, I wasn't aware of this one." He looked over to Olivia.

"It's not my fault that you were so into Connie that you didn't notice my expanding stomach." She grumbled not wanting to say it loud enough to argue that she should have told him.

"Maybe you should consider getting yourself snipped." Michael gestured the cutting motion with his finger scissors.

"Thanks, all of you." Sonny responded to his children laughing at him.


	110. Chapter 110

"Mommy…daddy, wake up." Cameron shook them both after finding them together on the couch.

"Huh… what?" Zander started moving first orienting to the living room as the prior night came back to him. After putting the boys to sleep they stayed up talking waiting for the storm to pass. "Shh…" He instructed Cam; he slid Liz' head off his shoulder onto the pillow letting her sleep a little longer.

"Jake needs a diaper change." Cam whispered to him.

Zander pulled on his shirt from the prior night and left the room to solve the diaper problem; Jake was standing in his crib with his binky in his mouth. The two-year-old lifted his arms up to Zander to let him out of his cage.

"Are you leaving us?" Cameron asked noticing Zander move towards the entry closet.

"No, you guys are going with me." He answered passing them each a winter coat, snow pants, mittens, and hats. Zander helped the boys get dressed to go outside.

"Where we going?" Jake asked.

"You two get to build a snowman." Zander answered stepping outside grabbing the garage key on his way out.

"Yay… snowman!" Jake expressed.

"What about you?" Cam questioned.

"Shoveling. Stay where I can see you." He instructed. The temperature outside was perfect for playing in the snow. Zander grabbed a shovel and started working the driveway watching as Cameron helped his little brother roll a ball out of the snow making it bigger and bigger. He never would have expected that's what he would be spending his morning doing when he came over the night before. His conversation was nice; intimate, they connected effortlessly in a way that they had never before, including the night Cam was conceived.

"Here are my boys." Liz came outside.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." Zander responded. The driveway and side walks had been completed and he was helping put the head on Frosty.

"It didn't take me that long to figure it out." She admitted. "You know, I do have a snow blower."

"They're too loud." He smiled. He was perfectly content with the shovel, and it appeared the boys were enjoying themselves in the snow. "Do you work today?"

"Second shift." She answered. "I appreciate this, really, and I'd like to make it up to you with some breakfast."

"Pancakes?!" Jake requested running into his mother's arms.

"If that's what Zander wants." She replied.

"Pancakes sound great."

***********

"What is going on here?" Dante asked spying Caitlyn and Johnny smiling on the couch together, she was wrapped in her throw. He came over as soon as Max cleared the driveway out enough to get his car out.

"We're talking." Caitlyn answered; she thought that much was obvious.

"At six o'clock in the morning?"

"I guess I didn't realize how late it was getting. I should go." Johnny excused himself. "How are the roads?"

"Most of the major roads have been plowed already." Dante answered. "But you don't have to leave. I'm sorry if I insinuated anything."

"Don't worry about it; I wanted to catch up with Olivia before she went off to trial anyway." Johnny explained before taking off.

"How was it?" Caitlyn asked approaching Dante, giving him the kiss she had been saving up for him.

"Better than I expected. It took awhile for Michael to come around, but by the time dinner came all was good."

"How was Kristina?"

"Fine; she says that it makes a good excuse to hang out more often, and Morgan was in seventh heaven, of course."

"Of course." She repeated.

"But you look like you could use some sleep." He observed.

"Maybe." She said hanging onto his hand and directed him into the bedroom with her. She couldn't remember the last time in her life that she had stayed up the entire night talking.

***********

"Sonny, where are the boys?" Carly approached him as soon as he entered the courthouse.

"They're at the house. I let them sleep in this morning, and Michael said he would drive Kristina and Morgan back as soon as all the roads were clear." Sonny explained calmly. "They're fine, Carly."

"Did it go all right?"

"Yeah, it was fine, good even." Sonny insisted and then ceased the opportunity to have a civil conversation with her. "How are you doing?"

"A little rattled, but I'm hanging in there. I haven't had the chance yet to thank you for Britni's present. That was sweet."

"It was just something I had laying around, but I'm happy you like it."

"Yeah, I should…" She pointed towards the courtroom entrance and took her seat next to Jason.

"Did you ask?" He inquired.

"They're fine, and don't give me that 'I told you so' look."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He grinned.

"Somebody could have called." She muttered. She didn't think she would ever be comfortable with her sons over at their fathers again, not after knowing he let the woman responsible for Michael getting shot live there.

The bailiff announced the beginning of trial. Judge Hackett called for Ric's next witness. As he stood he started feeling himself chickening out knowing he would get blasted for his next move.

"My next witness is Mrs. Carolyn Corinthos-Jacks." He called.

Carly looked over at Alexis completely astonished. "Answer the questions directly and don't let yourself overreact." The counsel advised.

"Great." Carly rolled her eyes; that was much easier said than done. She stood and approached the bench. Swearing to tell the truth as she knew it.

"Good morning Mrs. Jacks." Ric greeted her.

Carly said nothing waiting for a question.

"Your honor, I would like to declare Mrs. Jacks as a hostile witness for obvious reasons." Ric requested.

"Granted." The judge replied.

Carly literally bit her tongue to keep herself from reacting.

"Mrs. Jacks, where were you at 9:30 pm on April 4th, 2008?" He opened up questioning.

"You mean when my son was shot in the head leaving his caught in a permanent coma?" Carly clarified, spelling it out clearly for the jury.

"Yes, that's what I mean, but without the dramatics."

"I was at the MetroCourt Hotel."

"Why?" Ric questioned.

"Because I own half of it."

Ric chuckled; she wasn't going to make it easy for him. "Do you often take the late shift?"

"No." She replied heeding Alexis' advice of answering the questions directly.

"What brought you to work that night?"

"I got a call from the general manager about a problem in the lobby."

"What kind of problem?" He pressed.

"Ms. Zacchara was making a fuss about being on the list to deny service to." Carly answered. "She wanted to speak to a manager and my husband was out of town for a business meeting."

"So you were with Ms. Zacchara when the shot took place?"

"Clever alibi, huh?" She goaded him.

"What were you and Ms. Zacchara talking about? I mean after you gave her the reason she wasn't welcome, you did give her a reason she wasn't welcome, right?"

"I don't remember."

"You don't remember? We're talking about the night, which you so eloquently put it, that your son was shot, are you honestly going to tell me that you haven't replayed every moment of it repeatedly in your head?"

She didn't respond.

"Mrs. Jacks, what were you and Ms. Zacchara talking about?"

"Sonny." She said quietly.

"Sorry, I didn't quite hear that?"

"Sonny!" She said louder.

"What did you two have to say about Mr. Corinthos? You weren't comparing notes, were you?"

"Not exactly." Carly answered.

"Then what exactly?" Ric pressed further and went to his desk to pick up paperwork. "Mrs. Jacks, I have Claudia's sworn statement from the night of the warehouse shooting in my hand."

"Then read it!" Carly demanded.

"Mrs. Jacks, answer the question." Judge Hackett addressed her.

"She accused me of discrimination based on the assumption that I didn't want her business because I was threatened of the one night stand she had with my ex husband."

"So you were discussing Ms. Zacchara having sex with Mr. Corinthos? It says here that you accused Ms. Zacchara of being a stalker, is that true?"

"She had mentioned her one-nighter more than once in my presence. It appeared that she was more interested in him than he of her."

"Did she mention the current relationship he was in with a Ms. Kate Howard?" Ric asked pinning her right where he wanted her. He handed over the document to submit as evidence.

"Only that there was no way that Kate could hold onto a relationship with Sonny."

"But she could?"

"That was her claim." Carly shook her head ready to ring her hands around Ric's neck.

"Let me clarify this; the night of April fourth you had a conversation with Ms. Zacchara where she indicated the desire to pursue a relationship with her future husband?"

Carly looked over to Alexis who simply nodded her head.

"Answer the question, Mrs. Jacks." The judge advised again.

"Yes." Carly answered.

"Thank you, no further questions." Ric concluded.


	111. Chapter 111

"I hate him, I mean it, I really _really_ hate that man. Is there a word more powerful than that? Disdain, abhor, loathe?" Carly questioned after the judge granted Alexis another recess. "I wish he would crawl back into the smelly hole he came from and die a horrible bloody death."

"I know that Ric…" Alexis started to say.

"Don't even say his name." Carly interrupted her.

"I won't, but I need you to be able to go back into that room and fix this. We can do it, just as long as you can stay focused and answer my questions. Can you do that?"

She nodded her head.

"Ignore the defense; don't even look at them." Alexis advised.

"I can do that." Carly assured her. They went back into the courtroom and Carly followed Alexis' advice. She approached the bench and kept her gaze focused over at Jason. Carly smiled as he mouthed 'I love you' to her giving her the strength she needed to keep going.

"I'm sorry for the interruption." Alexis appealed to the jury. "I know that we all want this over soon to move forward with holiday plans; this case is highly emotional for the parties involved."

"Your honor, will the prosecution please move on with this?" Ric spoke up.

"Ms. Davis?" Judge Hackett appealed to her.

"Of course. Mrs. Jacks this past May your son went through an experimental surgery, correct?"

"Yes. The doctors and specialists all agreed that Michael was in a permanent coma. I looked into some possible treatments and found a procedure that had been practiced by a Doctor Henson that used electroshock to wake up certain parts of the cerebral cortex. I pushed to have Michael tested to see if he was a candidate. He was, and it was successful."

"At this time the defendant was Michael's step mother? Was she around during surgery?"

Carly chuckled. "She insisted in being in the waiting room knowing that my stress level was an issue."

"Did Mrs. Corinthos seem invested in the outcome at all?"

"I honestly wasn't paying that much attention to her, but…"  
"But what?"

"Michaels' heart stopped on the table; both my husband and Sonny were concerned about

continuing with the surgery. Based on doctor opinion Jason and I were sure that this was Michael's only chance at waking up. Claudia got overly defensive stating that Jason shouldn't have a say in the decision. She acted offended that I was taking his opinion into consideration."

"Why do you suppose that is?" Alexis inquired.

"Objection, your honor." Ric called.

"Over ruled." The judge responded.

"She didn't want to face the guilt if Michael were to die, and was afraid of what Michael would remember if he were to wake up." Carly answered.

"Did Claudia ever visit Michael while he was in the coma?"

"Several times." Carly replied thinking back.

"Your honor, may I point out that the defendant was the boy's stepmother." Ric interjected.

"No, it was before then. I… I remember running into her in his hospital room before he was transferred over to the aftercare facility."

"Mrs. Jacks, you had an altercation with Mrs. Corinthos at the hospital this past June, can you tell us about that?"

"It was after Michael woke up. He disappeared from the hospital and Claudia was the last person to visit him. I overheard her talking to her brother. She was concerned that she may have said something to upset him and that is why he took off. I tried to confront her about it, and we both fell down the stairs."

"Did you ever find out what she may have said?" Alexis pressed.

"I asked Michael, and he didn't have any idea what Claudia thought she said. He told me that he left because he was feeling claustrophobic. All he could think of was that he told her something he recalled while he was in coma."

"What was that?"

"He remembered her visiting him, and telling him that she was sorry."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jacks, you may step down." Alexis closed.

**********

"Mr. Lansing, your next witness." The judge called for once Carly took her seat. She held tightly onto Jason's hand; like always he was there for her when she needed it.

Ric glanced over to Sonny. So far every witness he had was pulling for the prosecution. There was a town full of people wanting to see Claudia's head on a silver platter, and only one person that had Claudia's back. "I would like to call Mr. Michael Corinthos Junior to the stand."

Sonny raised his right hand, placing his other over the bible that he claimed to hold in high regard, but there wasn't a person in that courtroom that didn't know the hypocrisy that he lived of that claim.

"Mr. Corinthos, this court has heard a lot from a Mr. Jerry Jacks about his version of what transpired leading to the tragedy of April 4th. Am I correct in assuming you have a different take on these events?"

"When my girlfriend, Ms. Kate Howard, was shot and my son disappeared in February of 2008 I reacted harshly and blamed people that I shouldn't have. The Zacchara siblings were looking to reach a deal on use of the harbor, and I couldn't see beyond the treachery of one Anthony Zacchara to meet them half way." Sonny explained.

"The Zacchara's were not responsible for either event, were they?"

"No. Michael was scared and he ran away."  
"Did you apologize to the Zacchara's for the way you reacted?" Ric questioned.

"I did, and that was when John Zacchara offered to coordinate a treaty; neither one of us would

attempt to acquire the Alcazar property to keep the peace between organizations."

"Was there anyone else vying for said property?"

"Just about any Port Charles company looking into import/export." Sonny answered. "Mr. Jerry Jacks has already admitted that he was working with Dr. Ian Devlin with an illegal drug shipment."

"To the best of your knowledge was the treaty with the Zacchara's ever broken?"

"Not by either of the siblings."

"What does that mean?" Ric questioned.

"I was devastated when my son was shot, and my ex-wife lashed out at me by taking away my parental rights. I felt the only person in my corner was my girlfriend, and went ahead with plans to marry her. On my wedding night Kate Howard was shot again. I found out later by the hands of Mr. Anthony Zacchara."

"You had signed your business over to Mr. Jason Morgan, correct?"

"Yes, and when Kate was shot I felt defenseless. I thought I knew who was responsible but could do nothing about it. Anthony Zacchara offered me a place in his organization under the condition that I marry his daughter. She was just as much a pawn in his plan as I was." He couldn't believe he was saying this much in front of the courtroom and knew he had to be careful to not implicate himself in any actual illegal act.

"Surely, Mr. Morgan would have been willing to renew your partnership?"

"No, he refused."

"So you married Ms. Zacchara?"  
"Yes, we agreed that it would be beneficial to both of us if we treated each other with respect."

"Did you ever hold any reservations about her commitment to you?"

"By that time I didn't want to love again; I thought marrying Claudia was a perfect answer to that problem. I put my defenses up, but she never disappointed. She even went so far as implicating her father in the shooting on my wedding night. She was able to prove that Anthony wasn't as decrepit as he wanted the world to believe."

"And this realization landed Mr. Zacchara in prison, correct?"

"After Anthony took her hostage and threatened to kill her for her betrayal, yes."

"Shortly afterwards you and Claudia conceived a child?"

"It wasn't something that I wanted, and I had told her that." Sonny answered.

"The prosecution argues that she went behind your back to conceive a child on purpose. Do you agree?"

Sonny took a deep breath looking to Claudia as he responded. "She confessed this to me in her hospital room after the miscarriage. I didn't realize how much she had wanted a child, and she didn't think I would ever come around if she asked."

"Mr. Corinthos, did you ever suspect that your wife was behind the shooting of your son?" Ric inquired.

"Jason had brought up the possibility, apparently there were some discs implicating her, all trailing back to Jerry Jacks. We had attempted to view one, but it was blank. I found that there was no actual evidence linking my wife to the crime."

"You don't believe Mr. Jacks' testimony?"

Sonny shook his head no. "As far as I can tell Mr. Jacks is a pathological liar who feeds on his brother's loyalty in him to get him off of his own crimes. He has admitted to working with Dr. Ian Devlin, and shifted the blame in a last ditch effort to retain any sort of relationship with his immediate family."

"Did Mr. Jacks have the motive to want you dead?" He pushed the point.

"Absolutely."

"Thank you Mr. Corinthos." Ric ended his questioning.

"Your witness, Ms. Davis." Judge Hackett invited Alexis for her cross.

"Mr. Corinthos, I've been listening to your testimony and from the notes I have taken in the span of year; your son was shot once, girlfriend shot twice, and wife taken hostage and threatened. Does this happen a lot?" Alexis questioned.

"More frequently than I would care to admit." Sonny answered.

"How many people close to you have been hurt because of the choices you have made?" She asked more directly.

"I don't know." He answered honestly.

"Your first wife died because of car bomb, correct?"

"Yes."

"Did I hear she was pregnant at the time?"

"Yes." He repeated.

"Mrs. Jacks was shot while giving birth to your son, can you tell me about that?"

"I heard her screaming and a business rival was standing over her, I reacted." Sonny admitted.

"Kind of like the way you reacted when your son went missing?" Alexis pressed.

"Kind of."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but based on what you've testified to, in your world violence breeds violence. I find it hard to assume that after torturing her brother the defendant wouldn't seek some kind of vengeance."

"Is there a question in there?" Ric asked the judge.

"Ms. Davis?"

"Do you feel guilty?" She asked Sonny point blank. "Women you have claimed to love have been shot and killed; your child was put in the direct line of fire. Does that eat at you?"

"Of course it does."

"Not enough to do anything about it though?" Alexis argued playing on Sonny's greatest insecurities.

"That's not true, I tried to change my life, but people just ended up getting hurt worse. Since Michael was shot there's not a day that passes that the image of his broken body lying on the concrete cradled in my arms with the bullet wound to his skull does not creep up on me, and it makes me sick knowing that it was my fault."

"Your fault? You didn't pull the trigger, you didn't hire the attack; how is it your fault?"

"I brought him into that warehouse without guards and I protected my girlfriend instead of looking out for my son."

"And that's why you're willing to defend your wife, right? You can't blame her, because the real blame lies on your shoulders."

"Claudia didn't do anything…"

"She didn't do anything that you wouldn't have done?" Alexis questioned. The look on Sonny's face spoke volumes. "No need to answer. No further questions."

Sonny stepped down from the stand not realizing what had hit him until it was too late.

"Your next witness?" The judge offered Ric.

"The defense rests." Ric replied.

"Then we will reconvene tomorrow morning for closing statements." She struck her gavel to release the courtroom.


	112. Chapter 112

"Can I please have a moment with my wife?" Sonny begged after the room emptied and the police attempted to put the cuffs on Claudia once again.

"Mac, just two minutes." Ric bartered with him.

"Two minutes." Mac agreed.

Claudia threw her arms around his shoulders.

"Ric was right, that was too risky." Sonny whispered to her.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever the jury decides, Sonny I have never had anyone defend me like you just did." She cried. "You know what I did, and what backing me could cost you, and you did it anyway."

"I wasn't lying, I didn't want to love again, but it happened." Sonny responded.

"I love you, too." She tightened her grip until an officer approached. Sonny watched her being taken from the courtroom. Alexis was right, if there was any real justice in the world it would be him shackled and bound.

"What now?" Sonny asked his brother.

"I go back to my pent house and prepare one hell of a closing argument." Ric replied.

"Why did you agree to this?" Sonny asked the question that had been puzzling him since Ric showed up.

"The case sounded interesting or maybe I just missed being in the same city as my daughter." Ric explained.

"And?"

"Part of me still cares about Claudia." Ric admitted. Before she and his brother bonded in matrimony they had something going; they had a mutual understanding as the children that were never good enough for their fathers. "Don't worry; I know where her heart lays. That and I'd really like to see Carly and Jason get knocked down a peg or two."

"I think Carly's been through enough." Sonny defended her.

"Of course, poor defenseless Carly; do you honestly think after today she wouldn't be ready to crucify us both? Don't you get it? Your best friend and ex-wife are about to go sailing in the sunset with your boys leaving you with nothing."

"Which is exactly what I deserve." Sonny argued.

**********

"Don't you have work to do?" Caitlyn asked finally stirring after her nap as Dante gazed lovingly at her.

"Nah, dad gave me the day off." Dante replied.

"Oh, he's dad now? It must have been quite the night."

"I don't know. He is different when his kids are around; he's gentler and… I guess, I finally felt a part of it."

She held onto his hand and smiled. Somehow she knew from the moment she first set eyes on him that he was missing that.

"Now it doesn't compare to your night where you stay up to all hours, talking about God knows what, with no regard to time passing or the sun rising."

"Are you accusing me of something?" Caitlyn went on the defensive.

"No… maybe, do you have feelings for John Zacchara?" He came out with it.

"He's a friend."

"What am I?"

"A boyfriend…"

"But didn't you tell me that all that really means is two people liking each other? So what's the difference between the way you feel about me and how you feel about Johnny?"

"Oh wow, I knew you suspected something when you walked in here."

"What am I supposed to think?" He argued. "I walked in on something intimate."

"We didn't have sex. Wait, is that the problem here? I mean if that's it we can solve that problem right now." Caitlyn claimed starting to take her shirt off before Dante stopped her.

"When I said intimate, I wasn't talking about sex. Caitlyn, I sincerely care about you. I know you have built walls up, and I get that. I'm willing to wait for you, but not if the bricks come crashing down for someone else." He explained.

"I don't know what you want me to say." She responded.

"Not that." He replied. "Maybe you're right, I need to go to work.."

"Dante wait!" She stopped him before he got up. "I'm cautious with you because from the moment I met you I knew you had the potential to break my heart. I don't say this often, hell, besides my grandpa who passed when I was four, I don't know if I've ever said it to a guy but I love you!"

Dante met her with a kiss, and as they held onto each other all doubts he had of her feelings went flying out the window. "I love you, too." He replied when they broke.

**********

"Mom, Britni is taking a nap upstairs and Morgan is in his room playing video games I was wondering if it was okay if I went out with some friends for the evening?" Michael managed to get out as Carly came through the door, slamming it behind her, and darted up the steps past him. "Bad day at court?"

"Yeah." Jason answered.

"I sure as hell don't want to be the schmuk she's pissed at." Michael commented. "Is it dad, Ric, or Claudia?"

"Claudia in third, I'm not entirely sure who is inching ahead at first."

"What happened?"

Jason shook his head no. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"I asked."

"Ric called both your mother and father onto the stand today." Jason responded.

"Why on earth would Ric want mom to testify on behalf of the defense?" Michael questioned. Jason turned his head away. "Jase, what is it?"

"Claudia used your mom as her alibi. She was goading her into a fight about sleeping with your

dad when the shot was fired. Ric used that to try to establish reasonable doubt."

Michael sunk down onto the couch. "Can it get any worse?"

"A little bit." Jason admitted. "Your mom wanted to pick you up from the warehouse. I stopped her; I told her not to. We were arguing about it when she got the phone call from the MetroCourt to solve a problem in the lobby."

"That problem… Claudia?"

Jason nodded. "If I wouldn't have shown up she would have been out the door already when the call came in."

"This is exactly why I wanted nothing to do with this trial; you are all stuck in that night, asking yourself 'what if?' it doesn't matter, I'm here." All he needed was the twinge on Jason's face to know it wasn't that simple. "I know, a lot of people were hurt and grieved, and that is an experience that no mother should ever have to go through. Should I go check on mom?"

"I don't hear anything crashing so I believe you are safe." Jason teased.

Michael took that to mean go ahead. He found his mom in Morgan's room with a remote in her hand skewering her way through an enemy storm trooper. "I thought you said you didn't like the violent video games?"

"Morgan convinced me that it's a great form of stress relief." Carly responded leaving out the part where she was picturing Ric's face on the screen. "I'm sorry for flying past you like that, and yes, if you would like to go out with your friend's tonight that's fine."

"But…?" Michael picked up on a smidge of hesitation.

"I was hoping we could decorate the tree tonight. Christmas is right around the corner."

"Count me in." He replied.

"Are you sure? You don't have to if you don't want to." Carly insisted.

"I'm sure. I missed this last year, and next year who knows where I'll be for college. Plus, it's my sister's first Christmas. Let me call Alyssa to let her know."

"You can invite her if you want to."

"The more the merrier." Morgan added smiling. Somehow he managed to calm his mother down and get her to okay a new video game all at the same time.

**********

"What did you talk about?" Olivia asked coming out of the kitchen with some fresh made cannolis.

"Everything." Johnny admitted. "Family, education, hobbies, music, did you know she played the guitar?"

Olivia shook her head no.

"Places we have traveled to, places we'd like to travel to, hell, Saturday morning cartoons." Johnny continued.

"They are called peers for a reason; there's a certain amount of life experience you share with people merely because you grew up in the same generation." Olivia explained as Johnny appeared to be guilty for spending an evening talking to Caitlyn.

"I know that; it's just something my father said."

"When were you talking to your father?" Olivia asked puzzled. It was no secret that Anthony Zacchara was a nut job and any conversation Johnny was to have would be futile.

"After she was shot. I confronted him about the botched job." He admitted to her that his dad was responsible for trying to kill her son.

She took a moment to absorb the information and then responded. "What did he say?"

"He accused me of having a thing for Dante's girl."

"Do you agree?" Olivia prodded.

"I don't know. The only relationships I've had have been with you and Lulu. I loved Lulu, but I couldn't open up to her and be honest about who I am like I can with you."

"Like you can with Caitlyn?" Olivia added. "Do you want to know what I think? I think your dad is trying to play mind games with you."

"Why?" He questioned.

"Because he wants you and Dante to see each other as competition." So far all attempts Anthony had made to sway Johnny over to controlling the empire since the Corinthos/Zacchara merger had been in vane, and now the alliance between the heirs was quickly solidifying. "Let me ask you something; when you were talking to her did you have an insatiable urge to kiss her?"

"No, I mean, it's not like I didn't think about it, but no, I couldn't."

"Because she was with Dante?"

"Because I was with you." He answered pressing his lips against hers, and biting away the crème she had on the edge of her mouth.

"Good answer." She responded wrapping her arms around his neck letting his hands venture under her blouse.

**********

"Are you sure about this?" Dante questioned leaving the next step to her. Caitlyn was sporting a matching leopard print bra and panty set. Her thumbs set to push the bottoms off. Instead of answering she pulled him in letting the kiss respond for her. He cradled the arch of her back nibbling down her neck to her shoulder blade. He released the clasp of her bra causing the straps to fall. Dante smirked as she pulled on his boxers.

"Is anyone home?" Zander announced his presence in the apartment.

Dante dropped her from his grasp and she lifted her comforter over both of them. "Yeah, just hang on a minute." Caitlyn called out and handed him his jeans.

"You know, he'd probably understand." Dante whispered to her.

"He's my brother…" She argued. "We could always go back to your place…. Or not."

"Sorry." He replied looking at the cell phone that he grabbed from his pocket. Spinelli had texted him with information on another possible lead to finding the illusive Mendes.

"That's okay." She insisted. "Maybe tomorrow after my doctor's appointment we could go on that date you had promised me last week."

"Maybe." He kissed her forehead.

"It depends on how this lead goes, right?"

"Something like that, yeah." Dante responded tightening his belt before motioning their exit from her bedroom.

"I didn't mean to interrupt." Zander assured them.

"No need for explanation, this is your place." Dante responded before leaving with one more goodbye kiss.

"Did I scare him off?" Zander questioned Caitlyn.

"No… business." She explained. "Where have you been all day?"

"Off being domestic."

"Any old sparks flaring up?"

"Now I know where Cam gets his lack of subtlety from." Zander teased her.

"I can't help that my incredibly intuitive and intelligent nephew picks up on the same chemistry that I do."

"So, this is about chemistry?" He questioned.

"Mostly. It could also be about giving you a reason to stay here." She admitted.

"Are you sure that's really what you want? Dante didn't exactly seem thrilled at my timing this evening."

"He's right, this is your place. You should never feel it necessary to apologize for being here."

"It's not actually my place." Zander argued. "At least not until I start paying rent. I think after the holiday I should start looking for a job."

Caitlyn smiled at the implication; the more roots he had grounded in Port Charles the more apt he was to stick around. "I'm sure the hospital could use someone capable of fixing their computers."

"Have you already looked into this?"

"I was just scanning the newspaper."

"Scanning the classifieds? And this hospital position, it wouldn't be an attempt to bring me and Liz closer?"

"Hey, come what may, but I was just looking at a good opportunity in a bad economy." Caitlyn insisted.

**********

"My mom and I made these this afternoon." Alyssa offered the family an arrangement of holiday cookies.

"You don't have to ask me twice." Carly grabbed a piece. Jason grinned, he was wondering when he would see that girl again; it seemed like forever since she appeared excited about the junk food that she previously devoured.

"Jason and Michael just finished putting up the lights." Morgan explained. "Now it's time for the ornaments."

"Britni and I made some popcorn, and I have needles and thread if you would care to help me string it up." Carly offered Alyssa a part in the holiday tradition.

"And it's not burnt. Good job Brit." Michael extended the credit to the baby in his mother's arms.

Carly laid Britni down on the floor mat. Alyssa joined her on the couch to thread the needle, knotting the end of a large string. Jason handed the ornaments over to the boys; Michael took the top half of the tree while Morgan decorated the bottom half. Carly turned the on the radio and they sung along to the Christmas music ranging from Rudolph to Oh Holy Night. Each ornament that the kids took out brought on another memory that warmed Carly's heart. Her family had been through a lot over the years, but they always had each other.

"Is this enough?" Alyssa held up her string.

Michael nodded his head. "Here, hang on to this side and I'll wrap it around." He offered.

"Take this one, too." Carly handed over hers. Jason sat down next to her, kissing the top of her head.

"They did a good job." Jason admired the work.

"We did a good job." She corrected him. "But we're not done yet."

"Oh?" Jason questioned.

Carly reached under the coffee table to grab a box. "What's a Christmas tree without the angel? Morgan?"

Morgan took the angel and stood in front of the tree. Jason followed him over and lifted him over his head onto his shoulders so the boy could reach the top. Once it was placed Jason took a few steps back with Morgan still perched.

"It's perfect." Morgan commented.

"Almost." Michael replied looking over to Alyssa and whispering. "Did you bring it?"

Alyssa reached into her purse and pulled out a gift for Carly.

"What's this?" Carly questioned as she passed it to her.

"You're supposed to open it." Michael quipped.

"Thanks, smarty pants." She pulled the string of the bow to unwrap the box, and lifted the top off. "Baby's first Christmas. Britni Jane, 2009." She read the ornament. "Michael, this is incredible. What do you think Brit?"

Britni reached for the shinning silver ornament and gurgled.

"She likes it." Morgan noticed.

"Why don't you help her put it on the tree?" Jason suggested lifting her up to her brother's grasp. Alyssa placed the ornament in the infants tiny hands and guided her to an open tree branch, securing the ornament in place.

"Michael, that was so thoughtful." Carly pressed.

"I didn't know what else to get for you." Michael admitted. "I know when I first found out about her I acted like a selfish brat, and honestly, the night she was born I didn't behave any better. I wanted to apologize for that. I couldn't imagine this season without her."

"She knows that you love her." Carly insisted.


	113. Chapter 113

"Good morning, how are you doing?" Bobbie greeted her daughter outside the courtroom with a hug and some coffee.

"I'm good." Carly admitted.

"Really? After yesterday…" Bobbie started.

"After yesterday I went home and I think it finally sunk in to what is most important."

"Nobody can tell you she's anything but stubborn." Jason commented after parking the truck. "Let's get this thing over with."

"Here, here, to that." Luke raised his flask.

"Luke!" His sister started to berate him.

"What do you have?" Carly questioned him, ignoring her mother's concern.

"A little something to turn that coffee Irish." Her uncle smirked as she opened the lid allowing him to pour some whiskey into her drink.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lulu asked approaching her father and cousin.

"Making listening to Lansing speak a little more bearable." Carly replied.

"Hun, you just said…" Bobbie tried to use her words against her.

"I know, and when I'm watching A Muppets Christmas Carol with my children all is good with the world, but it doesn't make listening to Ric defend Claudia any easier to stomach."

"Just keep her away from any firearms." Jason warned with a grin.

***********

"Ms. Davis, your closing argument." Judge Hackett invited her to speak.

Alexis stood up glancing back at Carly, Jason, Bobbie, Jax, and all the others that grieved Michael as he laid motionless for a year. They were all looking to her to somehow rectify the tragedy. "When you come into this room what tends to happen is that tales are spun, and reality is hidden by layers of uncertainty. Your job is listen to the story and decide what you believe is true beyond a shadow of doubt.

"The only claim I heard the defense make was that the man she initially approached about taking the shot was just as reprehensible as the defendant. There has not been a witness called from either side that would dispute that claim. The fact remains that Mr. Corinthos threatened the safety of the defendant's closest relative and Ms. Zacchara reacted in the way she was raised to. In that world violence breeds violence and unfortunately innocent people get hurt because of it. In this case it was a sixteen-year-old boy. I have no doubt that Ms. Zacchara felt guilty for what she did; at least sorry enough to sit at the boy's bedside apologizing for her role and admit to what she did in a feverish stupor.

"Her actions following the night of April 4th, 2008 not only suggest that Ms. Zacchara felt guilt, but also fear. In the world of kill or be killed it was about hiding her guilt, and where better than in the home of the man she tried murder? As more became suspicious, Ms. Zacchara turned desperate, going so far as to conceive a child under the clear objection of the intended father to keep her safe were the secret to leak out, and if you can't believe that, believe this. This past May, to protect her own guilt, she had the audacity to ask the mother of the child she was responsible for putting in a coma to stop the surgery that could revive him because she feared the truth she whispered into his ear would coming out.

"The prosecution has provided testimony backing every detail of these events, and tangible evidence linking the defendant, and the date, time, and place of the shot to the doctor that acted on Mrs. Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos' orders. When you go back into that room, I want to remind you of the simple truth. Claudia is guilty; guilty of wanting Mr. Corinthos dead, and planning the shot to make that happen. I thank you for your time and diligence in this case." Alexis closed her case.

Judge Hackett then opened the floor for Ric Lansing to speak.

"As I mentioned in the beginning of this case, the prosecution was going to attempt to win you over with a conspiracy theory. Ms. Davis did a great job of providing you one, but what you need to remind yourself is that the law dictates that the Ms. Davis needs to convince you beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of the crime she is accused of.

"I have my own doubts about the credibility of Mr. Jerry Jacks as a material witness. I also doubt that the so called confession to one Mr. Nikolas Cassadine was not done under duress. The Zacchara family was the first to be questioned of the shooting and any finger pointing in her direction could have ended up getting her killed with questions asked later. The evidence provided no support that my client ordered anything.

"So, I have to ask what the prosecution did prove? The only thing I was able take as beyond reasonable doubt was my clients desire to have a family with the man she is being accused of trying to kill. In fact on the night of April 4th, 2008 Ms. Zacchara went on record stating she was looking to pursue a relationship with Mr. Sonny Corinthos.

"What happened to Michael was a tragedy, but don't let that cloud your judgment. It is your duty and responsibility to look at this case objectively. Mrs. Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos is not guilty of the charges being pressed against her."

"Thank you, Mr. Lansing. Court is released until the jurors return with a verdict." The judge announced releasing the jurors to convene to talk through the case.

**Authors note: Okay… your turn to weigh in, please? I really want to get to the Christmas stuff before I leave for Michigan to spend the holiday with my family. If I don't get to this before then, have a Merry Holiday, which ever holiday it may be! **


	114. Chapter 114

"That wasn't too bad, was it?" Lucas attempted to ease his sister's nerves.

"I just wish I could be a fly on the wall in that room." Carly confessed. "I mean, what are they thinking? Did Ric win any of them over? What if they can't decide it ends up being a mistrial? I can't go through this again."

"Shhh… what have you always told me? Count to ten." Lucas advised as he held her.

"I learned that trick from Jason." She said with a glimmer in her eye.

"Why don't we enjoy having the afternoon off with some lunch at Kelly's." He offered hoping to keep her mind occupied.

"Ehh." She groaned. "Normally I would love to…"

"But?"

"I promised Lady Jane that I go over to the penthouse and put together Britni's baby book. She had some pictures of John and Jax that she wanted to include."

He was fine with that as long as she was sitting idly after Spinelli drug Jason away from her after the case released. "I suppose if I'm going to play second fiddle in your life, I'm okay with it being to your children."

"You have no idea I much I miss you when you're not here." She commented; he had this way of knowing exactly what to say to make her laugh.

"He misses you too. I can't tell you everything this boy has told me about his big sister." Joey approached them. Joey wasn't quite what Carly imagined based on everything Lucas had told her. He was tall and debonair looking with deep mocha skin and European facial features, a cross between African and Portuguese. The side Lucas had described was the child-like enthusiastic and comical side of the soon to be Dr. Joseph Dimas. What didn't surprise her was the boy raised by Dr. Tony Jones and Nurse Barbara Jean Spencer found himself a prospected pediatrician to fall for.

"I would ask if it was all good, but I don't want to put you in a position where you felt you had to lie."

"He always put a positive spin on it." Joey responded. "I mean, I consider a force of nature a good thing."

"Just remember saying that the next time a hurricane approaches." Lucas teased. "But seriously, Carly, if there's anything I can do…"

"Actually, there is. I am going to rent out the Grille tonight for a celebration dinner for the conclusion of this case. Can you do me the favor of inviting all of the Spencer's?" She requested.

Lucas looked at her confused. "Now all of the sudden you're sure we're getting a guilty verdict tonight?"

"I can hope for a Christmas miracle, right?"

"Just don't get your hopes up." Lucas cautioned.

"Don't worry about that, just do what I ask?"

"Have I ever not?" Lucas countered.

"Yeah, when you left the city to go to college." Carly argued.

"I told you she always has to be right." Lucas looked over to his boyfriend and grinned. "I will do that as long as you give my Goddaughter a kiss for me."

"Consider it done."

**********

"What do you think?" Caitlyn asked Dr. Quartermaine.

"The wound is healing nicely; there's no sign of infection." Monica answered.

"That's good." Caitlyn replied hoping for a little more.

"And you are sure you have been feeling just fine?" The doctor prodded.

"Yeah, no… no issue, why should there be?" She questioned.

"Some of the numbers on the test results are a little higher than I would like to see them. It could be your body's way of adjusting, but I want to refer you to an endocrinologist just in case."

"I'm sure it's fine." Caitlyn insisted.

"I'm sure it is to, and as proof of that I'm going to write up that doctor's note to allow you back to work, but you have to promise me that you're not going to get yourself so busy that you put off seeing the specialist."

"I promise!" She beamed almost grabbing the note out of the doctor's hand before hugging Monica and rushing out the door. Monica was sure she hadn't seen anyone that excited about their work since Emily died.

"How did it go?" Dante asked bumping into her outside the door.

"You're here!"

"Yeah, I'm here." He responded. He had spent the night locating Mendes' last known whereabouts, unfortunately it was cleared out with no trace of where he was hiding next. "So?"

"So, will you go with me to the MetroCourt to get my hours?"

"Really?" He questioned the doctor's decision to put her on the job so soon. "While we're there, maybe we could…?"

"Wouldn't that kind of be like doing it on your ma's house?"

"Since you put it that way." He replied looking slightly disgusted. "I suppose I am supposed to wine and dine you first."

"That would be nice." She nodded.

***********

"I have to admit, I was surprised to see you in court today." Olivia commented to Johnny who followed her back to her office after the closing statements.

"So was Claudia, but no matter what she's still my sister." Johnny replied.

"And she's lucky to have you."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He dismissed her encouragement. "Especially if she knew the truth."

"What truth?"

"That part of me hopes that she gets convicted." He admitted. "And it's not that I believe that she is solely responsible and therefore she should pay for her crimes. If this was real justice; Sonny, Jerry, Jason, me, we'd all be going to prison with her."  
"Do you believe she is still a threat?" Olivia questioned.

"If threatened she is, and I don't know if Jason could get past what she did. He and Carly are going through with this court case because they believe she's going to see the inside of a prison cell."

"And if she gets acquitted?"

"I don't know." Johnny confessed. "You're Carly's best friend; do you see her letting it go?"

"Well, I don't see her hiring a sharpshooter."

"She doesn't have to."

"Right, she has her own personal one in her bedroom."

"Don't think Jason wouldn't go out of retirement one last time to finish the job." Johnny replied gravely.

"No, they promised Michael that they would let the jury decide." Olivia argued.

"What if it was Dante stuck in that coma for over a year?"

"I…I can't even respond to that, nobody knows until they are actually in the position, but you're right; I think the best case scenario is Claudia going to prison."

"Ms. Falconeri?" She heard a knock on the door.

"Come in, Sara." She invited the deck attendant. "What's going on?"

"Mr. Jacks has requested your services on the ninth floor. He says it's important." Sara explained.

"I'll be right there." She told the attendant who briefly stuck her head in, and then looked to Johnny.

"I have a tune-up I need to get to." Johnny excused himself. "Call me if hear anything about the verdict coming in."

"I will." She responded, kissing him before heading to the elevator. There was only thing this could be about, and that was Jerry Jacks. "What's up?"

The cops outside Jerry's door looked dumbstruck ask the question to the hotels' owner.

"Did you hear anything about Jerry being released today?" Jax questioned.

"No, I was waiting on DA Davis. Why?"

"He's gone."

"How? There was suppose to be someone with him at all times."  
"It had to be between shifts." Jax replied. "Maybe he wasn't so trusting of the agreement he made with the PCPD."

"So once he found out that the closing arguments had been made, he high tailed out of here." Olivia continued his train of thought. She took a breath. "This isn't all bad, right? It's what we wanted; for Jerry to disappear."

"As long as he stays gone." Jax replied. "You guys can go. I'll let Commissioner Scorpio know what's going on." He instruction the on-duty cops.

************

"Johnny, hi." Caitlyn greeted him on his way out of the MetroCourt.

"Hey." He met her with a hug. Dante lingered behind reminding himself that they were friends.

"You don't happen to know if Olivia is here?" Caitlyn questioned him.

"Yes, she is, but I'd probably wait for her either here or in her office; she's dealing with an issue." He said pointing upward.

"Oh, got it. Thanks."

"Are you going to the garage?" Dante asked before he scurried away.

"Yeah, are you going to be by later?" Johnny asked knowing they had some business to go over. Dante nodded; he was hoping to finish up the work stuff before dinner.

"So, I guess we'll take a seat." Caitlyn commented once Johnny left. Both sat on a blush chair in the lobby. She couldn't believe the difference a week made from the last time she was there. At some point during her hiatus a tree had been set up and lights strung throughout the entire lobby. She glanced around admiring the decorations.

"Oh my God, Brook?" Dante's attention had been caught by the registration desk.

A long haired brunette spun around to her name being called. "Officer Dante Falconeri, is that you?" She asked coming toward him with her arms extended.

"Well, kind of, not the officer part. Career change, long story." He replied.

"Since when do you inhabit Port Charles?" She asked.

"I was doing under-cover work that brought me here this past June, I think, the months kind of run together."

"Don't I know it?" BrookLynn replied.

"What about you? What would a star like you be doing gracing this small town with your presence?" He asked charming her.

"I arranged to spend Thanksgiving with my mom and Christmas with dad, only he and Dillon don't fly in until tomorrow, and I really didn't want to stay at the Quartermaine mansion by myself." She explained.

Caitlyn casually walked up behind Dante. "Let me guess, old girlfriend?"

"Oh, God no, don't I wish? I had the biggest crush on him in the ninth grade, but as a senior he wouldn't give me the time of day. Okay, that's not entirely true, but he did make it clear I was like a little sister." She explained extended her hand. "I'm BrookLynn Ashton. Our mom's are old time friends from the 'hood'."

"Ah, so I bet you know all about his dirty little secrets?" Caitlyn questioned.

"A few." BrookLynn nodded. "Am I to assume you are the lucky girl that snatched him up?"

"Caitlyn Montgomery, and I'm still determining just how lucky." They both laughed.

"Yes, she's my girlfriend." He clarified. "So, how long are you around for? Is there any time away from the relatives to hang out with us?"

"Oh, I hope so, any chance I can get. Actually after I check in I was going to go upstairs and see what Maxie and Lulu were doing tonight, and possibly go down to Jake's. If you weren't busy…?"

"Sounds like fun, but we have plans tonight." Dante responded.

"We don't have to do that tonight, if you want, I would be fine with Jake's." Caitlyn insisted.

"But…" He whispered to her.

"We can still go to your place after." She whispered back.

"Brook, is that you?" Olivia asked coming out of the elevator.

"It's me." She smiled back at the person that treated her just like a daughter.

"Yes, and she thought that she would have to pay for a room here." Dante interjected.

"Now that's just silly. You want poolside or a better view of the harbor?" Olivia looked up what rooms would be available.

"Whatever you have." She replied.

Olivia typed something up into the computer and handed her over a key card. "It's on the ninth floor. That section just became available, and not a moment too soon with the holiday rush coming through."

"Thank you so much. Dante, here's my number call me in another hour or so and will figure out the plans tonight. Nice meeting you, Caitlyn."

"Is that a doctor's note in your hand?" Olivia asked Caitlyn after everyone finished the pleasantries with Brook.

"It is, so, when do I get more hours?"

"Would you like to work this weekend?" Olivia asked figuring she could have the next two days off for the holiday.

"Absolutely." She responded following Olivia to her office to figure out who they could schedule.


	115. Chapter 115

"So this is Crimson head quarters?" BrookLynn asked stepping off the elevators. "I have to say, way to make it big, Maxie."

"Ahhh!" Both girls screamed in joy.

"Tracy didn't say anything about you coming." Lulu hugged her step-niece.

"We asked her to keep it a surprise." Brook replied.

"We…?" Maxie questioned. "Does that mean your crazy haired uncle is making an appearance as well?"

"Yes, he and my dad are coming in tomorrow. Apparently Dillon is shooting an indie flick in Pennsylvania that is wrapping up tonight."

"That's great." Lulu gushed. She was happy to hear that Dillon was out making his dreams a reality. It seemed everyone was; Maxie was a junior editor, BrookLynn was publishing albums, and Dillon producing and filming his own movies. Maxie knew that if her sister was still alive she would be conquering the globe.

"I ran into Dante downstairs; would you two be in for a night at Jake's tonight?"

"You know Dante Falconeri?" Lulu questioned.

"Yeah, we grew up together." Brook responded. "Why?"

"We just didn't know you were familiar with Sonny's latest henchman." Maxie explained.

"What? No way! He hated Sonny Corinthos; the mere mention of him sent him into a tirade."

"Well, something seduced him over to the dark side." Lulu added. "I personally think Morgan had a little something to do with his inability to take him down."

"That was his undercover job?" Brook questioned. "Wow, I feel out of it. My ma told me none of this. Does that girl, Caitlyn, know?"

"I'd assume so." Lulu replied.

"Kind of hard not to when she was shot because of it." Maxie added. "But, you know, spend enough time here and you're either shot of kidnapped, it comes with the territory."

"Tell me about it; nobody believed my mom when she said I was safer growing up in Brooklyn." Brook replied sarcastically. "So, are you in?"

"Since Dante is invited; I'm assuming this is co-ed?" Maxie questioned.

"Absolutely, you both have dates in mind?" Brook asked getting the latest scoop with Matt and Spinelli.

***********

"Mom, I think the star is crooked." Molly tilted her head to try to get the correct angle on it.

"It's a star; as long as something is pointed up it doesn't matter, right?" Alexis attempted to justify.

"This is supposed to symbolize the star that lead the wise men to the Christ child, and it's not doing a very good job." Molly argued.

"Here, let me help you with that." Jax let himself in. He fiddled with the top of the tree until it appeared the Christmas tree topping was corrected with Molly's stamp of approval. "Hey Molly, do you think I could talk to your mom in private for a little bit?"

"Hun, can you help Kristina and Viola with the cookies?" Alexis requested getting her in the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"Jerry disappeared from the MetroCourt. Someone must have taken a break without permission, but all his belonging were gone." Jax explained.

"Did you tell Mac?"

"Yes. I called him on my way over here. He's looking into what happened."

"Well, as uncomfortable as I am releasing him out into the night, I suppose it had to happen at some point." She looked to the positive.

"I suppose, something just doesn't sit well." He attempted to explain the sick feeling he was left with.

"Does it ever when Jerry is involved?"

"Not really."

"Can I get you anything? There's eggnog in the fridge."

Jax smiled; all they could do was move on and enjoy the holidays knowing they were Jerry free. "Sure, do you think Kristina would let us sneak a couple cookies?"

"No." Kristina shouted from the kitchen. Alexis and Jax both entered.

"How much of that did you overhear?" Alexis inquired.

"Just the part about the cookies; your voice was too low to make out the rest." Kristina answered. "The cookies are for the hospital party tomorrow. You wouldn't want to steal from the sick kids, would you?"

"Ouch, she knows how to lay it on thick." Jax observed.

"I'm taking my role as elf this year seriously; as are Amber and Alyssa who promised to don the green costume with me."

"It also might be because Maxie has tweaked the costume this year to make it a little less embarrassing." Molly added. "Mom, is that your cell going off?" She asked as Kristina whipped hers out to the sound of a ringtone.

Alexis ran across the room to view the text.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jax questioned.

Alexis nodded. "Grab your coat; we have a courthouse to get to."

***********

The courthouse filled up quickly. Carly literally dropped the pictures she was holding to answer the phone call before flying out to get there as soon as possible. She met up with Jason outside the entrance.

"I have a good feeling about this." Carly insisted in Jason's embrace.

"If there's one thing that I've learned over the years it's to trust your instincts."

"I won't argue with that, shall we go inside?" Bobbie asked approaching them with Robert Scorpio not far behind. Carly shook her head not wanting to know what her mother was doing when she got the call.

"Attention, all stand as Judge Hackett takes the bench." The bailiff announced for the final time.

Once everyone was seated the tension mounted as the judge called for the verdict. Claudia held onto Sonny's hand that he had clutched to her shoulder. The foreman stood opening the paper that held the agreed upon answer to the charge and passed it to the bailiff to show to the judge who simply nodded before it was handed back.

"In the charge of Reckless Endangerment we, the jury, find Mrs. Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos guilty as charged." The foreman started with.

Claudia clung onto her husbands hand tightly knowing that charge alone sent her to prison for at least the next eleven months.

"In the charge of felony Conspiracy to Commitment Murder we, the jury, find Mrs. Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos guilty as charged."

Excitement caused in uproar throughout the audience. The judge pounded on the gavel to obtain control of the room long enough to reveal the twenty five year sentence that verdict carried, with a chance of parole in fifteen. The case was released and Carly lead family and friends to the MetroCourt to celebrate.

"We're going to fight this; we'll get an appeal." Ric insisted.

"Based on what?" Sonny questioned.

"I don't know, I'll find something. As if the jury wasn't rushing to get this over before Christmas." Ric responded.

"Thank you for everything you did." Claudia wrapped her arms around her lawyer, who did do everything in his power to get her off. Unfortunately the jury knew what she was painfully aware of, she was guilty. She then turned over to her husband to hang on for deal life not sure of when she was going to again experience that.

They exchanged 'I love yous' and a lingering kiss before the men in blue approached to cart her off to Pentonville.


	116. Chapter 116

"On behalf of the staff, I can't tell you how pleased we all are that things have turned out this way." Marty approached Jax and Carly who were hosting their last event as partner's at the MetroCourt hotel.

"Thanks Marty, I want the best champagne we have; all on Jax' tab, and keep it coming. We have a lot to celebrate tonight." Carly smiled to her soon to be ex. She had used her office to change into an evening gown, and waited as the guests readied for the affair.

Jax shrugged his shoulder's, there was nothing that was going to ruin the good mood he was in.

"Dinner service will start in another hour and a half." Marty repeated the message the chief gave him.

"That sounds great; can we get the music going in case our guests would like to dance?" Carly requested. She figured they could start with dancing, and then go into a toast before dinner started. There were a couple people standing around. Marty motioned for the pianist to start.

"Mrs. Jacks, may I have the pleasure of this dance?" Jax extended the invitation.

She took his hand following his lead onto the floor. He held her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and swayed to the beat. She wasn't sure how she got lucky enough for them to part so amicably, but for Britni's sake she was thrilled with the partnership.

"How was our little girl today?" Jax asked.

"Precious as always, does she fuss around you? Because I swear she is one of the most content babies I've ever been around." Carly questioned.

"She fusses more when you're not around." He insisted. The piece was coming to an end when Jax felt a tap on his shoulder.

"May I cut in?" Jason requested approaching in a suit and tie that took Carly's breath away. The bright blue shirt he wore underneath made the rich color of his eyes pop out. Jax bowed out gracefully, watching for Alexis to enter, and invited her onto the floor. As soon as Carly's eyes met with Jason's she got lost in a world where they were the only two people. She fit comfortably in his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. The verdict finally lifted a weight off of her back, and for the first time in a long time she felt truly happy and secure.

The room started to crowd as more couples filled the floor. Along with Alexis and Jax, Sam and Lucky danced, as did Robin and Patrick, and Luke and Tracy. A few were surprised to see Liz held in Zander's embrace. Across the room Nikolas extended an invitation to Kelly Lee who sat off to the side with Lainey Winters.

Bobbie and Monica observed their children; Carly spun to Jason's lead as it seemed all their troubles were behind them and this was their way of publically announcing the relationship. The Scorpio brothers came over to the table to each offer an invitation to the dance floor. Bobbie took Robert's hand as Monica followed Mac.

"My lady, would you do this old man the honor of accepting a dance?" Edward gracefully offered Lady Jane.

"It would be my pleasure." She responded.

***********

Red and green lights were strung along the bar. Spinelli and Matt placed the order for a pitcher of beer and cider.

"You're in a good mood." Brook noticed Lulu's gleam. Caitlyn had observed the same thing which was a far cry from their first meeting at Jake's.

"I'm finally getting into the holiday spirit." Lulu admitted.

"I suppose I can guess which way the verdict went." Dante commented. Je was with Johnny at the garage when Olivia called with the news that court was reconvening.

"What verdict?" Brook questioned.

"The case against Claudia." Maxie answered. "You know, Michael's shooting."

"Oh, that's right. How's Michael doing?" Brook asked. Her dad had kept her updated with the latest news. It had been years since Michael spent a holiday with the Quartermaine's but he would always be her cousin.

"He's had a rough year but doing pretty well." Dante answered.

"You seem tight with the Corinthos kids." Brook recalled Lulu's comment about his connection to Morgan.

"He should." Caitlyn mumbled with her hand over her mouth; she wasn't certain it was her place to say anything.

"Huh?" Maxie questioned.

"Tighter than you know." Dante cryptically replied. "Genetically linked to Kristina and Morgan."  
"Whoa, what?!" Lulu exclaimed. "You mean?"

"Wow." Maxie simply added.

For some reason BrookLynn didn't seem all that surprised.

"Don't tell me you knew?" Caitlyn observed.

"My mom thought it was more of a possibility than Olivia ever let on, but no one knew for sure."

"And you couldn't have said anything until now?" Dante feigned offense.

"She thought Olivia had a good reason for keeping it a secret."

"Discussing anything interesting?" Matt asked setting the beverages on the table.

"A twenty-five-year-old paternity secret." Maxie explained.

************

"Attention, everyone." Carly clanked a spoon against her champagne flute to focus everyone over to her. "Thank you for showing up on such short notice. Before we start dinner I wanted to offer my own words of gratitude to everyone who has played a role in bringing this nightmare to an end."

As Carly spoke she noticed her son standing in the back of the room. "About a year and a half ago. I sent my son to an aftercare facility under the impression that I would never again see his smile or hear his laugh. I had the support of my family and friends to carry me through day to day. Without you I would have never had the strength to accomplish what we have."

"Yes, you would." Someone yelled from the tables.

Carly smiled; nobody knew how close she had come to completely shutting down. "Special thanks go to Patrick Drake who put up with my tantrums and finally, with a team of professionals, attempted an experimental surgery to bring Michael back to us."

Robin held her husbands' hand with a proud smirk on her face.

"Once again, I would like to thank the Quartermaine's who took my son into their home and provided him with the guidance and understanding he was in need of. I would like to acknowledge everyone responsible for making this trial a reality; starting with the detective and P.I. team that brought the evidence to light as well as the Port Charles Police Department who I will profusely apologize for not trusting in the past, and, finally, my sincerest thank you to the presiding district attorney, Alexis Davis, for successfully closing this case."

Jax raised his glass to clank against Alexis'. Everyone in the room joined in on the celebration; raising their champagne, and offering their own words of appreciation and excitement. Once her speech was made she walked over to Michael, again bringing him into her arms. What she had that night was thing she prayed for repeatedly since the night of April 4th, 2008, her family in once piece and a feeling of peace of mind.

**********

"See Coleman, now tonight is the night you should have a karaoke night." Lulu pointed out Brook.

"How is the glamorous life of being a superstar?" Matt questioned.

"I wouldn't say superstar." Brook argued. "I mean, I'm no Avril Lavigne."

"Not yet." Dante encouraged.

"You sound like my publicist. I wish I had as much time to write music as I spend sitting in meetings." Brook rolled her eyes at the process; she was grateful for the people working in her corner, though, and the CD she had produced was a huge accomplishment for her.

"Do you have any tours coming up?" Maxie inquired.

"There she is." They heard coming from the doorway.

"Lucas?!" BrookLynn yelled and ran towards to the entrance. After picking her up and spinning her around the room he introduced her to Joey and sat down at the table.

"You decided to skip the dinner tonight, too?" Lulu questioned her cousin.

"I stopped in, but yeah, meeting up at Jake's sounded more interesting."

"So this is the Brook that you and Georgie used to get in a mess of trouble with?" Joey tried recalling the stories told.

"No, Brook and I got into the trouble; Georgie was the conscious that tried to talk us out of it." Lucas corrected him.

"Remember that one time…" Maxie started a story. Caitlyn attempted to listen but her attention was caught over at the bar where Johnny Zacchara sat alone with the whiskey bottle in front of him. Backing out of the reminiscences, she sat down next to him unnoticed.

"Am I intruding?" She questioned.

Johnny snickered. "It's a public bar."

"I'm sorry. I know there's a whole town full of people right now celebrating your sister's misfortune, and that can't be easy."

Johnny shook his head. He recalled her telling him about the feeling of relief after years of watching her mom spiral downhill. He felt the same way. After Michael was shot he spent months worrying about Sonny's reaction if he were to find out; and praying that it would not be his sister's funeral he was attending, now that it was over there was a sense of reprieve; only knowing that his sister was locked away for the next quarter of a century made him feel that much more guilty. "Do you think anyone would miss you if you went for a walk?" He replied instead.

"Nah." She picked up her coat and gave Dante a brief explanation before following Johnny through the alleyway.

***********

"Dad!" Michael called into the Grey Stone.

"He's in there." Max pointed out the den knowing that Sonny's children always had a pass in whenever necessary. Michael found his father at the bar pouring himself a drink.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Michael questioned.

"Do you want one?" Sonny offered.

Michael shook his head no. "Dad, I know what siding with Claudia cost you."

"Things haven't been the same between me and Jason since I started dating Emily." Sonny countered. "Your mom took his side then, and he took hers after the shooting."

"What do you mean?" Michael hadn't yet heard his father's point of view of how everything went down other than the disclosure that it was all his fault.

"You know that I legally signed my parental rights?"

"Yeah, I've heard Jax mention that, but since mom didn't seem opposed to us seeing you I didn't really understand what that was all about."

"After you were shot; both your mom and I knew something had to change to keep Morgan safe. I was going to leave the business, but your mom didn't think that was enough. She was still afraid that my enemies could come after me, and was afraid of repeat of what happened to you. She wanted to keep Morgan away, and she did for some time."

"So she just came up to you with some paperwork and you signed it?" Michael questioned.

"Not quite." Sonny answered explaining Jason's role in taking the business over for him in exchange for terminating his rights to both children.

"She told me that she blamed you." Michael replied.

"I think part of her always will."

"Dad, nobody blames you as much as you do. I'm sorry that Claudia is in prison, but I asked this of mom, and now I'm asking you; now that this trial is over can we please put what happened to me behind us?"

"Your mother made that promise?" Sonny asked knowing that it wasn't as simple as forgive and forget; too much had happened, and too much trust had been severed.

Michael snickered. "She said that she would try."

************

"Who was dark and broody over there that your girl ran off with?" Brook asked Dante wondering how okay he was with it; it had been awhile since they left.

"That would be the sibling to the Vixenella who is currently distraught over the containment for the shooting of the young mister sir. It appears to the Jackal that the spritely one is merely providing an outlet as a gesture of friendship." Spinelli explained for him.

"That's Johnny Zacchara?" She caught from the description, and then pointed to Lulu. "As in your ex?"

"One in the same." Lulu replied. "Johnny can be a decent guy."

"When he's not killing people." Matt coughed, and then realized he was sitting at the table with yet another mobster. "I didn't…"

"No, I get it." Dante responded. He would love to say that his weapon had only been drawn in means of defense, but that wasn't entirely true. "And Spinelli is right, Johnny is just a friend."

"Sure he is." Lucas replied sarcastically.

"I don't know if Johnny necessarily does the 'friends' thing with women." Maxie added remembering her part in the downfall of Johnny and Lulu's relationship.

"He's dating my mom." Dante argued.

"And as cool as the cougar thing is for both of them, I assume." Maxie responded. "It's probably not going to last, especially now. I mean, seriously, have you put two and two together with the paternity secret? Your mom and Sonny Corinthos have a deep routed past, and if I know Sonny Corinthos he's not saying stag for very long."

"Maxie's right, he kind of has this thing about bed hoping. With Claudia locked away; Olivia is probably next on his radar." Lulu commented.

"Over my dead body!" Dante retorted. As much as he disagreed to the relationship with Johnny, the idea of Olivia and Sonny back together made him nauseous.

Lucas laughed at Dante's insistence. He felt just as strong about his sister pursuing a relationship with the guy, but with Jason instead that wasn't a remote possibility anymore.

"Who is he killing now?" Ethan asked approaching the table.

"Where have you been?" Lulu asked her brother after greeting and introducing him to BrookLynn.

"Oh… here and there." He replied.

"Off with a girl?" Joey surmised.

Ethan avoided eye contact which confirmed the answer.

"Who is she?" Lucas asked his cousin.

"Was it that girl at the baptism?" Joey pressed.

"Wow, you guys are worse at the gossip than the girls are." Ethan teased. "Yes, I offered to help Mercedes put Emma to bed, and then we hung out until Robin and Patrick got home."

"Those homebodies sure got home early." Matt mocked his brother.

"Early?" Brook questioned. "It's almost bar close."

"Oh, wow, it is." Lulu checked out her watch.

Time had run away from all of them except Dante who was attempting to not check out his cell phone periodically to see how long Caitlyn had been out as he wondered what they were talking about. Matt collected money to pay off the tab as it looked like Coleman was anxious to close up.

"Were you going to give her a call?" Brook asked Dante after everyone else left for home.

"I thought I might go out for a walk myself." He responded.

"Would you like some company?" She offered; she wasn't tired, and didn't have anywhere she needed to be. He took her up on the offer, and they found Caitlyn and Johnny in conversation on the pier. Dante wasn't sure about what when they found them but it was obvious that Johnny had left the brooding inside.

"Hey." Caitlyn greeted Dante once in view.

"Hi; I was heading out." He responded.

"Why? Is it? Oh my God!" She reacted after looking down at her phone.

"I guess we fell into some kind of time warp." Johnny explained. "I'm sorry, Dante, I didn't mean to keep her tied up for so long."

"She's her own person who gets to decide what she does."

"You got that right." Caitlyn smirked and then whispered. "Now do we get to go back to your place?"

"Um… yeah, Brook, are you going to be able to get to the MetroCourt okay?" Dante inquired, not comfortable with the idea of her walking alone in the dark.

"I think I know my way around here."

"Nonsense." Caitlyn replied agreeing with Dante. "We can go with you, and then circle back."

"I wouldn't want to put you out." Brook denied.

"You won't be, I promise." Caitlyn insisted.


	117. Chapter 117

"Merry Christmas." Caitlyn woke Dante up by nibbling on his ear.

"Merry Christmas indeed." He replied pulling her on top of him. Once they finally made it back to his loft Caitlyn was able to demonstrate just how much endurance she actually had in her. Dante was having a hard time keeping up with the girl. She laid with her cheek nuzzled up against his bare chest feeling it rise and fall as he combed his fingers through her hair. "We're okay, right?"

"I think so, why?" She questioned.

"I just happen to know that sometimes the day after changes things, and you seem quiet."

"I'm content, happy even." She replied approaching him to kiss him again.

"You don't have to do this." He responded pushing away, which confused her even more.

"Do what?" She asked suddenly feeling like he was the one playing games with her. "What do you want from me?"

"I want this to be what you want." He tried explaining.

"Do you honestly believe that I would let you do anything without my permission? I mean, if it wasn't good, then fine, just tell me."

"No, it was… unbelievable."

"I'm hearing a but." She interrupted him.

"No, no but's if you're sure that everything is fine, then great." He responded; as unbelievable as he thought it was he still felt like a part of her was holding back in letting him in.

"I should go out on my run and then get ready for the hospital Christmas party." She responded. The conversation wasn't finished, but it had gone as far as she was comfortable with at that time. "Am I going to see you there?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." He answered.

***********

"Mamma." Emma reached her arms out to Robin as she stood patiently in her crib.

"Oh, come here." Robin picked up her little bundle of joy to set her on the changing table. Part of her couldn't wait for the day when the girl would be potty trained, the other part of her, however; couldn't believe how much she had grown it what seemed to be such a short amount of time.

"How are my two favorite women doing?" Patrick asked hanging out in the doorway.

"Daddy!" The little girl screamed in glee.

Robin couldn't help but smile; it was obvious that Emma was a proud daddy's girl. "We're doing great. Could you hand me the dress hanging over there?"

"This one?" Patrick asked pointing to a red velvet dress with a black satin bow.

Robin nodded her head. "That's the one." She replied and then instructed Emma to raise her hands so she could put it on her. After tying the bow she let her down from the table and Emma rushed to her father.

"Are you excited for the Christmas party?" Patrick asked his daughter as he scooped her into

his arms. Emma nodded her head profusely.

"Santa!" She exclaimed.

"What about Santa?" Robert asked as the family reached the ground level.

"Santa, Santa, Santa." Emma sang before hearing a knock on the door. All the grown-ups turned their attention to the door.

"No, couldn't be." Robin smiled. "Santa comes through the chimney."

Emma pointed towards the door and again repeated. "Santa coming!"

Patrick walked over to let the guest in. Her arms held bags full of presents. "I made it." Anna dropped her belongings on the floor to open her arms to her daughter's embrace. In Robin's opinion it was the only thing better than Santa Claus coming to town.

"Hi gorgeous." Robert greeted his ex-wife. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing that you've been cleared to know about." She quipped. She was surprised when Robin told her that he was staying for the holiday, but knew how much it was going to mean to her daughter to have the whole family there.

***********

"Will somebody get that?" Tracy shouted out to the invisible staff.

"On my way, Mrs. Quartermaine." Alice flew down the stairs to open the door that stood less than ten feet from where Tracy was standing.

"Mom." Ned Ashton held out his hands to greet his mother. Dillon and BrookLynn followed behind.

"You didn't tell me you were coming." Tracy hit her son's shoulder. "And look at you, did you get a haircut?" She asked Dillon.

"I was told it looked more director-like." Dillon confirmed. "How have you been?"

"Good." Tracy responded. "Well, as good as I can be without my children around."

"Are you trying to tell me Luke doesn't keep you distracted?" Brook teased.

"Luke keeps me infuriated, but I suppose, yes, distracted. Alice, make yourself useful and bring this stuff upstairs?"

"What is going on in here?" Edward questioned coming into the foyer. "Oh my, it looks like the Quartermaine's are going to have a full house tonight. Monica, come in here!"

"Did you tell anyone about this?" Dillon questioned Ned.

"And miss this? Absolutely not." Ned teased with his dimple-filled smirk giving a hug to both his grandfather and aunt who stopped dead in her tracks as she wandered in to the foyer trying to figure out what all the yelling was all about.

"Merry Christmas." Monica greeted both Dillon and BrookLynn. She was thrilled to have her family around, at least the remaining members.

**********

"Michael, stop that!" Morgan yelled at his brother. Both had a controller in hand in a game that they were supposed to be fighter together; however Michael sought amusement in throwing the occasional jab his brother's way.

"Make me." Michael fired back.

"Boys quiet." Jason barked coming into the room with Britni snug in his arms sucking on her bottle. "Your mother is finally getting a good night's sleep, and I won't have you messing that up."

"I'm sorry." Morgan murmured his apology.

"Yeah, me too." Michael responded knowing how much Carly needed to rest.

"Why don't you guys go outside or something?" Jason suggested. "You can be as loud and rambunctious as you wish."

"But we got to level ten." Morgan pointed out.

Jason shook his head; he never understood the appeal of sitting in front of a screen and pushing buttons all day long, but Carly had promised the boys that they could play until the Christmas party at the hospital as long as they got all of their chores done first.

"Morgan, did you take the garbage out?"

"Yes." He confirmed.

"And the dishes are put away, and laundry is in the dryer." Michael added before Jason could grill him.

"Alright, fine, just keep it down." He insisted.


	118. Chapter 118

"Maxie did a great job of revamping those costumes." Lucas commented watching Kristina and Amber pass out candy canes as the kids gathered around waiting for Santa to make his entrance.

"Not the same 'ol hospital party, is it?" BrookLynn responded. Along with the costumes the hospital itself had a whole new make-over, and over time the familiar faces dwindled down.

"Let's just say that angel on the top of the tree watching down on us carries a whole new meaning." Dillon added. He left it to them to interpret their own angel; BJ, Lila, Emily, or Georgie. For him, it was always Georgie.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?" Maxie teased.

"Get over her." Brook brought her in to her embrace. "We were just saying what a fantastic job you did with designing the new duds."

"They do look cute." She beamed.

"Can you believe how old Michael and Kristina have gotten?" Dillon questioned watching Michael help take off Alyssa's coat before she volunteered her services.

Robin laughed from behind the nurse's station they were standing by. "I can't believe how old all of you have gotten."

"Tell me about it, I still maintain that I'm the same age." Mac commented.

"Sure you are." Robert teased his brother.

"Hey, nothing from you, grandpa!" Mac fired back.

"Now those are fighting words." Robert put up his fists to spar.

"You guys are worse than the kids." Elizabeth commented; her gaze drifted between them and Cam and Jake who waited patiently for Santa while playing 'I Spy' with Zander and Caitlyn.

"Do we know who's playing Santa this year?" Matt questioned the hospital staff standing around.

"No clue; I just hope it's not are dear old dad again." Patrick shook his head recalling memories of years past. Last he heard Noah Drake was half way across the continent at a convention.

"Who was supposed to secure it?" Elizabeth asked suddenly getting nervous.

"Don't look at me." Robin denied as eyes peeled to the 'responsible one' of the bunch. "I clearly recall Monica saying she was going to take care of it this year."

With that the elevator door slid open to reveal the jolly guy in the red suit. The fake stomach and beard disguised him well, but Elizabeth caught his eyes. "No way." She mumbled looking over at her Grams. "Did you know?"

Audrey nodded. Monica followed Santa in and onlookers watched as Morgan and Molly helped distribute the gifts to the children. Cameron and Spencer helped by offering Christmas cookies that the Davis girls baked themselves. Christmas songs heard from the background as everyone watched the joy on the kids' faces. Some of the children were patients themselves, and others were spending Christmas Eve visiting an ailing family member, no matter the reason, for that time the children were given a reprieve from their own distress as they were able to participate in the holiday festivities.

Carly held onto Jason's hand. For the last holiday it had been her family trying to keep up with the Thanksgiving traditions as the feared for their loved one. She was so grateful for what she had. Bobbie and Lady Jane were seated on the couch; their granddaughter was secure in her father's clutches.

Edward approached his grandson with a bible in his hand. "The staff was wondering if you would do the honor."

"I… I don't know what to say." Ned replied with a gleam.

"Just say yes." Monica interjected.

"Of course." Ned responded and took the seat under the Christmas tree. He opened it to Luke the second chapter and read versus one through eleven with the grace and dignity of all those who had participated in this custom before him. The sight across the room was indescribable as loved ones clung on to each other. He ended sweetly with; "And that's how we've come to celebrate the joy of Christmas. Peace on earth and good will for all."

***********

"When were you going to tell me you were in town?" Elizabeth hit Santa's shoulder as he moved away from the kiddies.

"Surprise!" Her brother extended his arms.

"How is it going in Memphis?" Liz questioned Steven, who was running a trauma unit in Tennessee.

"No complaints." Steven responded. "Okay, maybe some, but I won't bore you with the politics. Instead why don't you tell me about your interesting new developments?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She responded coyly.

"Ah huh." He reacted staring over at Zander with his nephews. "This is big news Lizzy; the father of your firstborn child is back in you life and you don't even mention it to me? I swear if I didn't get the regular updates from Grams I wouldn't know your heart was still beating."

"I'm sorry, I've been busy, and everything has been crazy recently. I would tell you what is going on if I knew what was going on."

"You and Lucky?" He questioned hoping to simplify it.

Liz pointed out Lucky and Sam hand in hand. "Over." She replied. "It's for the best; at this point we're much better at the co-parenting than anything else."

"Well, as long as my little sister is happy."

Liz smirked. "I am now. See you tonight?"

"Yes, I'll be over once I de-Santafy."

"Oh, come on, the kids would love to spend the evening with Uncle Santa."

"I'm sure they would, but I'd rather they know Uncle Steven."

**********

Once the reading of the Christmas Story ended Dante and Caitlyn settled in the corner watching Cameron, Spencer, and Jake play with a couple of the boys from the pediatric oncology unit. Dante wrapped his arm over her shoulder as they both smiled; letting the discussion they started earlier in the day go as they felt the spirit of Christmas take over.

"That's my train." One of the boys insisted.

"Nah uh, Santa gave it to me." The other argued pulling on the toy.

"Whoa…" Dante responded breaking up the tug of war contest. He took the toy away and tried to figure out a method of sharing for the time being.

"He got the teddy bear." The first rebutted instead.

"I have an idea." Morgan approached the quarreling kids. "Who wants to listen to a story?"

"Me… me." All the boys replied.

Morgan invited them to gather around sitting himself down next to Dante. Jake crawled onto Caitlyn's lap and peered over to see the pictures. Cameron waved over some more children to crowd around. "Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch who lived just north of Who-ville did not. The Grinch hated Christmas; the whole Christmas season. Now please don't ask why, no one quite knows the reason. It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right, it could be perhaps that his shoes were too tight, but I think the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small…"

The party was breaking up as Carly watched as the young children hung on to Morgan's every word while he read through the transformation of the Grinch. Families had their own Christmas Eve traditions to get to; her family still had mass to go to before their dinner destination, but she didn't have the heart to interrupt the story.


	119. Chapter 119

"Come in, come in." Patrick invited Spinelli, Maxie, Matt, and Lulu through the threshold. Spinelli took Maxie's coat to put away for her as they all got comfortable in the Drake's living room.

Anna and Robert went back to the house when Patrick and Robin brought Emma back for the afternoon nap. "Who are we waiting for?" Anna asked excited to spend this time with her family.

"Uncle Mac said he had to stop by his place after work for a special surprise for Emma." Robin answered. "While we are waiting, if anyone wants anything there are cookies, hot chocolate, apple cider, and eggnog in the kitchen. Please, help yourself."

"Uh…" Lulu grumbled. "I couldn't. There was enough cookies and candy at that party to last me through 2012."

"Apparently the guys don't agree." Maxie replied watching Patrick, Matt, and Spinelli fight their way into the kitchen. "Where's Emma?"

"Upstairs." Her grandmother answered. "We were just about to get her up from her nap. Would you like to come with?"

"That's okay. I wouldn't want to be crowded when dealing with bed head." Maxie declined; she also wasn't a fan of the diaper changing part.

Robin and Anna started making their way to the stairwell offering Lulu's assistance who denied.

"I'm glad you could come, Lulu, I feel like we've seen each other but haven't said two words since I got to town." Robert replied. "Although, I have to admit I am surprised there isn't a Spencer family gathering tonight keeping your attention."

"We're getting together tomorrow at Lucky's. It should be a fairly big gathering." Lulu explained. "Tonight dad is over at the Quartermaine's, Lucky is spending the evening with Sam and Nik at Wyndemere, and Aunt Bobbie is at the Brownstone with Lucas and Joey before Joey has to go back to Albany to see his family."

"What about your mom?" He questioned.

"The whole family is going to call her tomorrow." Lulu answered. Christmas without Laura was always hard because it brought back so many tender memories of her mother's favorite holiday.

"She's staying in Paris?" Maxie asked.

"Yes." Lulu responded. There was some excuse about not having a lot of extra spending money for the plane ticket home, but Lulu would have forgone all the presents and used her holiday bonus to fly her in had she told her earlier.

"What about Felicia?" Robert turned the subject away from Laura.

"I haven't seen her since after Georgie's funeral, and after the spectacle I made she probably thinks I never want to see her again." Maxie replied; which wasn't entirely true. She just learned at a young age that she couldn't count on her mother when she needed her.

"Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" Mac entered carrying a gigantic box and wearing a Santa hat.

"I could have sworn you already brought the presents over." Patrick commented coming in to see the Santa impersonator.

"This one didn't fit in the car during the last trip." Mac explained. Underneath the tree was packed with gifts from the Scorpio family.

"I can see that." Robert grumbled not liking the idea of his brother stealing his thunder away from his granddaughter for the best present.

"Where is the rug rat?" Mac questioned.

"Right here." Anna answered. Robin ran down the steps to greet her uncle while Anna brought Emma down to the family gathering. When she was set down Emma went straight for the big box to try to play with the bow that was over her head.

"Would you like to start with that one?" Patrick asked her. She didn't answer, instead just pulled harder on the ribbon. Patrick offered his assistance by removing the tape holding the ribbon in place.

"Just remember, the most precious things come in small packages." Robert told his granddaughter who was paying no attention to anyone around her. After minutes of fumbling with the wrapping paper she was able to expose the box to reveal a carousal style rocking horse.

"Pony!" Emma responded seeing the picture on the box.

"Yeah, pony." Robin replied in awe. "Tell your Uncle Mac thank you."

"Tank cue." The girl beamed and grabbed for the tape to rip the box open.

"Why don't we open the next one?" Patrick suggested moving the box away.

"But… pony." She repeated.

Anna smiled as Spinelli played elf by passing the gifts out to the designated recipients; half of which were for Emma who stayed entranced with the first one.

**********

"Thank you for this meal, Mrs. Hardy. It was phenomenal." Caitlyn offered her compliments.

"Yes, thank you." Zander chimed in, followed by Steven.

"You're welcome, all of you, I'm glad everyone could make it." Audrey replied thrilled to see table almost full. She wished Sarah could be there, but her eldest granddaughter swore she was denied the extended vacation from work.

"Grams, don't get up, let me take care of the clean-up." Liz insisted.

"Here, I can help." Zander grabbed a couple of the empty plates from the table and followed her into the kitchen. They returned to the dining room to a snickering Cam.

"What is it?" Zander questioned.

Cameron pointed above their hands to the mistletoe in the doorway. He had seen enough Christmas movies in the last couple of weeks to know what that meant.

"No…" Liz replied noticing how uncomfortable Zander was about it.

"You have to." Cameron argued.

"It is tradition." Caitlyn added.

"Kiss her!" Jake put his two cents in. Steven glanced over at the two-year-old putting his hand over his mouth not needing to witness any romantic gestures made towards his sister.

Zander and Liz met eyes; he gently touched her chin and lifted, pressing his lips against hers in a kiss. As they met she felt an invigorating spark that brought her back to the night Cameron was conceived; it was just one kiss between two people that had been crushed that brought them to the room upstairs of Jake's. She remembered the night vividly, and although unplanned, she could never qualify as being a mistake.

Caitlyn attempted to hold in the grin as she saw the fireworks go off in the brief lip-lock.

"Anyone want some eggnog?" Audrey asked breaking the moment.

"I will." Steven raised his hand; hoping for the customary variation before going into the living room for present opening.

**********

"I cannot believe you convinced me to come here." Jason commented. Out of all the crazy plans she had been able to manipulate him into in the past this was definitely up there.

"It's Christmas, and it's family." Carly simply replied. "Beside's it won't be that bad."

"We've heard that before." Michael kidded as Carly pushed on the doorbell. After avoiding a run-in with Sonny between services Carly drove to their destination while Morgan sang Christmas carols to his little sister putting her to sleep.

"Oh, do come in." Alice answered the door.

"We're waiting for you in the guest room." Monica said coming up from behind her with a tearful greeting for Jason as well as an expression of gratitude for Carly for getting him there.

"You didn't have to wait." Carly replied walking into the guestroom knowing they were running behind schedule.

"Now you tell us." Tracy responded grouchily.

"Mother…." Dillon berated her.

"I'm starving, and if we wait much longer the duck is going to dry out." Tracy defended her impatience.

"It's nice to see you too, Tracy." Jason replied; once again reminded of why he avoided that place.

BrookLynn greeted both Michael and Morgan amazed by how much they had grown since the last time she was in town. They had barely seen each other at the hospital with all the people around.

"How have you been holding up?" Luke asked Carly pulling her aside once the crowd congregated to the dining room. He hadn't been able to talk to her since before the end of trial and knew it was taking its toll on her.

"Better." She admitted honestly. "How about you? I know this is typically…" She started noticing the glass of Brandy in hand.

"You know the saying, 'better to have loved and lost…'"

Carly snickered; she wasn't entirely convinced she bought that especially with the heartbreak that was Sonny Corinthos. That and she had never actually lost Jason.

"Shall we?" Luke motioned her out the door.

She nodded and found a spot open for her between Jason and Jax. Jax had been in a private conversation catching up with Ned during their arrival. Lady Jane sat next to Jax with Edward at the head of the table. Off to his side was an ecstatic Monica to have both her son and grandchild with her for the holiday.

"Would anyone care to say grace?" Monica asked of the table.

Being the one normally approached about it Morgan started to accept until BrookLynn volunteered to sing a psalm of Thanksgiving.

"Thank you for that." Edward offered his gratitude. He was pleased to see a full house for the holiday and knew that Lila, the matriarch of the family, was smiling down on all of them; especially Britni, who was a living reminder of the gift of Christmas, as she curled up asleep in her car seat.

"Now enjoy." Monica welcomed everyone to dig in to the first course. Conversation kicked in around the table. Michael told BrookLynn about his college plans, an excited Edward started in about opportunities on ELQ. Dillon raved to his mom about his next film project. Lady Jane and Monica discussed upcoming trips, and Ned and Jax reminisced about the old days before Ned started in on tips for raising a daughter. Even Luke appeared entertained as he and Ethan recanted hustling stories to an entrance Morgan.

"I told you it wouldn't be that bad." Carly whispered over to Jason.

Besides missing one very important member of the family Jason had to agree with her. As sure as he was that she was the only family he needed it was easy enough to sit back and savor the food while enjoying the conversation.

Once the last course had been served and everyone was beyond full they were directed back to the guest room for present opening while the kitchen staff handled the cleaning.

"Where do Britni's gifts go?" Morgan questioned as he started handing out what was beneath the tree.

"Give those to your mother." Jax answered. "We all know how much she likes the unwrapping."

"That was a mistake!" Carly defended herself.

"Oh right, it was an accident that you unwrapped my gift." Jax teased her about an incident that happened two years ago.

"She does get kind of zealous." Michael added.

After everything was handed out they went around the room each opening one gift at a time. It was odd for Edward to participate in a whole evening of holiday bliss in the Quartermaine mansion with limited bickering; however he had lost too many people for it to feel worth it. In prior years he would berate Alan and Ned about their career choices, or jabbed into AJ and Skye about their lack of focus and motivation. Too much time had been wasted; with all the presents he opened he knew his greatest gift was the time he had with the family he had left.

As it neared the last round Morgan stacked his video games and blue rays into separate piles; just about everything on his list had been received. Ethan opened his gift from Carly which included a double headed coin and pocket book that chained onto his belt loop.

"Thanks." He smiled to his cousin.

"I though it may come in handy some day."

"It's your turn." Ned directed to Monica.

She saved her gift from Jason for last. It was a small box which she could only suspect was a jewelry box in which she opened to find a heart shaped locket inside. It had been Carly's idea and bought her mom one similar. Inside were picture of a young AJ, Jason, and Emily along with a wedding picture of her and Alan. The smile and single tear that slid down her face was all Jason needed.

"Okay niece, it's all you." Luke replied as the last present was left to open.

"I guess Monica and I were on the same page, because this is from Jason too." The package was about the size of a shoe box. She had spent the better part of the week attempting to shake it to figure out what was inside but nothing moved. Carly tore into it, to open the box finding a bunch of newspaper and a smaller wrapped box.

"Nice." Morgan giggled. Lady Jane snapped a picture of her expression as Dillon's video camera sat out recording the entire present opening experience. Carly took out the next box and again tore away the wrapping paper to find yet another smaller box.

By this point both Michael and BrookLynn were almost in tears laughing.

"Someone else seems well aware of her present opening mania." Ned joked to Jax.

"How many are there?" Carly questioned Jason who simply shrugged his shoulders. After two more boxes were discarded she finally opened to the diamond studded pendant that left her speechless.

"Would you like me to put it on?" Jason offered.

She lifted her hair off the back on her neck allowing him to take the chain from the box and secure the claps in place. "I love it." She finally said.

"I love you." He replied.

************

"Mom, look at what Nikolas got me." Molly held out a blouse and slacks set from Paris. Laura had helped him pick it out during his last visit out there. He just hoped that it would still be the correct size.

"It's stunning." Alexis commented.

Presents had been opened; Sam and Lucky helped grab the extra wrapping paper to throw away while the girls admired their gifts. Spencer had gotten past the point of playing and clonked out on his father's lap.

"Hot chocolate?" Alfred offered with a tray extended.

Each grabbed a mug sipping on the cocoa imported from Germany.

"Mom, why don't we get this stuff?" Kristina asked; she could always count on a trip to Wyndemere to appease her expensive taste buds. Alexis was pleased it was one of the only traits her eldest took from the Cassadine line.

"Because the State of New York covers Swiss Miss." Alexis rebutted; referring to her paycheck allocated from the State as district attorney.

"And boy do we love it." Sam smiled trying to get her sister's to agree.

"Especially with the little marshmallows." Molly added.

"Would you like marshmallows, Ms. Molly?" Alfred offered.

"Okay." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, me too." Lucky held out his mug. Sam shook her head; he had been spending way too much time with his boys.

"This was nice." Alexis admitted. The ferry was going to be approaching soon, and Santa still had his deliveries to make but she appreciated the time spent with her family.

"Are you taking off soon?" Nikolas asked.

"I think mom has a secret date tonight." Sam teased. Only Kristina was sure that she wasn't wrong. She had been keeping her mouth shut about her mom and Jax' forming relationship since the morning she caught Alexis sneaking back into the house.

"Oh, and who would that be?" Lucky pondered. Nikolas didn't want to think about it; although now he knew that Jax and Carly were separating he still wasn't found of Jasper Jacks.

"Yeah, Sam is right. I'm having an affair with Santa Claus. Please don't tell, Mrs. Claus would be miffed." Alexis admitted.

"Well, if mom's love life is off limits, what about yours?" Kristina questioned Nikolas.

"What?" Nikolas questioned, a bit stunned at the implication. "There's nothing to discuss."

"See, that's a problem." Kristina insisted.

"I agree." Sam added. She didn't know Emily that well, but anyone that did seemed to think she would want Nik to get on with his life and open his heart to love again.

"Leave Nikolas alone." Lucky defended his brother. The last thing he was willing to do was to put a time limit on grief.

"Thank you, Lucky."

"I don't know; I think a lady friend around here would be good for you, Master Nikolas." Alfred presented his opinion.

"Who do you work for?" Nikolas attempted to be menacing, but Alfred knew better than to take it as an actual threat.

An electronic screech was heard as it sounded like the speaker system was being tapped into.

"What's that?" Sam questioned Nik.

"I don't know." Nikolas picked Spencer up and everyone followed him into the ballroom. Nik and Lucky split up to look around as the girls stuck together in the center; Sam holding the preschooler.

"T'was the night before Christmas and all through the castle; the family dined blissfully unaware of the hassle. While garland was strung throughout the whole lair; the grandmother came to speak of an heir." They heard Helena's voice echoing through the halls.

"The Cassadine's, the Spencer's, and Scorpio's the same; mortal danger lurks while he plays his board game. Beware of the corners, passages, and halls; as saint Valentin's plot is soon to befall.

"Curl up with a light, and travel in pairs; bend down on your knees and whisper your prayers. For no one is safe while Mikkos descendent it loose; murder is likely by stabbing or slip noose.

"The carnage that's been brought by Cassadine's before; will pale in comparison as he settles the score. He was all but forgotten, casted off as deceased; but he rose from the grave and headed North East.

"While you open your gifts and play with your toys; don't forget the memorandum I brought girls and boys. The message was sent, now I fade out of sight. 'Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.'"

Alexis held onto her girls as tight as she could as she hid the nausea she was experiencing. Her mysterious brother Valentin was a Cassadine legend, or so she thought; she had always casted it off the supposed heinous deeds as those Helena refused to admit to herself. However; even if that were true, it meant that whatever was in store next had the potential to be devastating.

"Mom, I want to go home." Molly expressed holding on to Alexis' arms.

"Yes, we're leaving." Alexis agreed.

"Nikolas, maybe you and Spencer should stay with us." Lucky offered.

"Take Spencer. I want to stay to see if Helena reveals herself to me." Nikolas insisted. Everyone looked to him as if he were crazy. "I'll be fine, you should all go."


	120. Chapter 120

"Michael, if you need anything at all I am just a phone call away. I talked to Max; he said that he would bring Morgan over whenever he wanted." Carly reminded him for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I know. We're just going to dad's it will be fine." Michael assured her. "And thank you for the stocking stuffers. The new I-pod is great."

She wasn't going to be swayed by his subtle distraction techniques. "If there are any problems or even if something doesn't feel quite right…"

"Mom relax! Dante will be there. You said you trust him, right? Plus Max and Milo are on guard."

"I know. Come here and give me a kiss." She instructed and saw Morgan heading towards the door. "You too, buddy."

Both boys complied leaving Carly to cut them loose before crashing down on the couch next to Jason.

"Here." Jason said placing the baby in her arms. She was dressed in a green long-sleeved dress and matching head band with a tiny bow that her brother's picked out for her. On her middle finger was the baby ring that Jason had gotten for her Christening.

There was something about holding the baby that melted her anxiety and eased her tension. Jason found it to be a useful trick; plus, handing off the child provided him with the opportunity to wrap his arms around the mother.

"We should probably get going soon." He suggested after pulling her into a kiss.

***********

Sonny sat out in the field setting the poinsettia plant against the marble. It felt like so long since he and Claudia had been there. A fresh flurry of snow covered the plot.

"Your mother wishes she could be here." Sonny started trying not to let the tears fall. If things had been different; if he had paid more attention they would be bringing that little girl into the world about now. Instead Claudia was stuck inside a prison spending her Christmas Eve talking to him on a telephone through a window. "She loved you so much Gianna. We both did. I know you're in heaven right now. I was hoping to ask you the favor of paying extra special attention to your mommy. She could use your spirit and light right now. Feliz navidad mi hija."

***********

"Where do you think you're going?" Lucky questioned Sam who had awoken early to pour Spencer a bowl of cereal and start a fresh pot of coffee before slipping on her jacket once she had indication that Lucky's shower was coming to an end. "Guests should be arriving soon."

"I know." She replied meeting him with a kiss. "I called Spinelli and he's going to meet me at the office to see if we can pull a search for this Valentin guy."

"It's Christmas, you can do that later."

"No. I saw how rattled mom was, and Nikolas… I mean, if this was just Helena it would be one thing, but we have no idea what we're dealing with and who could be targeted." She replied; Sam had spent most of the night laying awake thinking about that. Helena had mentioned three families which through marriage and affairs comprised of practically the whole town.

"I understand that, and as soon as the festivities are done I will have my father and Robert Scorpio on this. Nobody knows the Cassadine's like they do. I'm willing to venture not even Alexis." Lucky responded. Alexis had done her best to break away from the family and make herself into the woman she had become free of Mikkos' influence.

"Some research can't hurt; besides with Liz here today it is probably best that I'm not. Call me if Nikolas provides you with anymore information."

Lucky held her, not wanting to let her go. He, too, had a hard time sleeping. The thought of packing Cam and Jake up and flying them out of town for awhile had crossed his mind. "Before you go I have something for you."  
Sam smiled at the thought of a present. He had already given her something to unwrap the night prior. She stood patiently in the kitchen watching Spencer happily chomping down on his sugar-filled breakfast.

"Take this." Lucky handed her a 9mm upon his return.

"Okay, this isn't quite what I had in mind." She smiled. "But it could be useful."

"I don't want you to be alone if it can be helped."

"What about you? This is going to be a house full of Spencer's in a matter of hours. It could be just what this guy is looking for."

Lucky had called Mac before his shower. He explained the situation and asked for unmarked cars to keep a patrol of the area. "We'll be fine." He assured her.

"Merry Christmas." She responded again in his grasp.

"I wish you didn't have to go." He replied, but whispered his own Christmas greeting after they lingered for a farewell kiss.

************

"Well, that's a side of you I've never seen before." Dante smiled and rolled over to his back.

"You weren't wrong about that runner's high thing. I'll cave, I think this was stronger." Caitlyn admitted pressing her hand against his chest.

"Buon Natale." He whispered kissing the top of her head.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." She replied and then glanced over to the clock. They had a half hour until they said they would be over at the Grey Stone, and for Carly's sake Dante had promised to be there as long as Morgan was.

"We could always cut down on time and water and shower together." Dante offered. He wasn't sure if it was her opening up or the spirit of Christmas, but something had brought them closer as they spent the evening apart.

"That's good in theory." Caitlyn snickered, but wasn't going to say no.

***********

"Morning Grandpa!" Morgan ran towards Mike inside Kelly's. The diner was closed for the holiday, but Grandpa Mike had promised the boy's breakfast before they all went over to their Sonny's for present opening.

"Good morning, how was your first Christmas Eve with your sister?" Mike inquired.

"It was good." Morgan replied. "Although she slept through the best parts. You should have seen it. On Tuesday after decorating the tree Jason put out moms present, and anytime she passed it, she picked it up and shook it to figure out what it was. She even went so far as trying to bribe me with candy and video game time in order to get me to tell her what it was, but I didn't."

"That's a feat, we all know how tricky Carly can be." Mike snickered listening to the story.

"I can't believe she saved that gift for last." Michael added.

"So, it was the last present, even after all of Britni's, which we let mom open two at a time or else it would have taken all night…" Morgan continued telling him about the multiple boxes and Carly's reaction as she ripped her way down to the last one.

"I have to hand it to Jason, I wouldn't be brave enough to try that on her." Mike commented bringing out the French toast platters for the boys to enjoy.

"I think once she saw the necklace she forgot about everything else." Michael explained.

"So things are getting serious between Jason and your mom?" Mike questioned; he was often the last in on the town gossip unless it made its way into the diner doors. Sonny was the last person he had confiding in him, but he wondered with that and Claudia now in prison how his son was dealing.

Michael nodded; he was sure it was only a matter of signing the divorce papers before the next article of jewelry Jason gave her went on her left ring finger.

"Yeah, Jason's been staying with us and helping to take care of Britni since they got back from the clinic." Morgan replied. "I thought I would be sad without Jax there, but I still see him all the time, and it's been fun hanging out with Jason even if he won't play video games with us."

"He doesn't seem like the digital type." Mike commented.

"Not really." Michael confirmed. "But he did say that if we finished the semester with high marks and no detentions he would take us to play laser tag."

"I can't wait!" Morgan added while stuffing his face with syrup drenched toast.


	121. Chapter 121

Sonny had just barely pulled into the driveway when Johnny and Olivia pulled up with arms full of presents.

"Here, let me help with that." Sonny took one of the larger packages from Olivia's pile.

"I appreciate that." She smiled back at him. Max opened the front door for them, and Milo helped with the gifts.

"Is that coffee I smell?" Olivia questioned walking into the fresh brewed aroma from the fields of Puerto Rico.

"Would you like me to get some for you?" Sonny smirked.

"No, I can handle it." She refused.

"The coffee machine, it's kind of… complicated."

"I'm pretty sure I can handle it." Olivia objected.

"Have you been able to see you sister yet?" Sonny asked Johnny once Olivia left the room.

"I must have just gotten there as you left." Johnny responded as Sonny name was above his on the visitor's log. Johnny brought her some books and magazines that she had been asking about as well as his gift; a leather bound journal and a CD of classical piano music. Johnny was young when he started playing, and to pass the time as a kid he would play for her as she sat with her diary and wrote for hours.

"I'm glad; she was asking about you." Sonny replied.

"Hey, did you notice anything?" Johnny questioned wondering if he was worrying about nothing.

"Like what?"

"Did she seem any paler than usual?"

"She's been locked up for the last couple of weeks." Sonny answered. There was nothing that he saw that sent up any red flags.

"You're right. She didn't say anything. I don't know, she just seemed tired."

"Um… Sonny, I may need some help…" Olivia stuck her head into the den. He simply smirked and followed her into the kitchen. Johnny sat back on the sofa until the doorbell rang. Max beat him to the door as Dante and Caitlyn entered.

Caitlyn greeted him with a hug and a merry Christmas.

"Is there anyone else here?" Dante asked looking around.

"Your dad is helping your mom poor a mug of coffee." Johnny explained sarcastically.

"This isn't one of those 'how many people does it take to screw in a light bulb' deals, is it?" Dante responded in confusion. "Maybe I should go check in, see if there's a problem."

"How was your evening?" Johnny asked Caitlyn pointing her in the direction of Sonny's den.

"It was good. I actually felt like part of a family, would you believe it?"

"I'm glad; you deserve that. Now, of course, this may be interesting." He replied referring to the train wreck that was always bound to happen around Sonny.

"I haven't even met Sonny yet." Caitlyn admitted. She had heard a lot about the guy, and knew that he was handling all of her medical costs from the shooting, which she was appreciative of since her insurance hadn't kicked in yet.

Johnny kept his mouth shut. He had his own sorted history with Mr. Corinthos, but at this point he was his boss and brother-in-law. The door opened as Max announced the entrance of Mr. Ric Lansing.

"Hi." Ric walked in feeling a little awkward in the company.

"Hello." Caitlyn replied back. "Sonny, Olivia, and Dante are in the kitchen."

"Okay, I'll go…" He started walking in that direction.

"Wait." Caitlyn stopped him. "Mr. Lans… Ric. I haven't had the opportunity yet to say thank you. You gave me the best gift I could ever receive this holiday season, and I don't care what the reason was, just, thank you!"

"You're welcome. I'm glad it worked out." Ric responded.

"What worked out?" Sonny asked coming in with Olivia and Dante. Dante went directly over to the couch to hand Caitlyn a mug.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Ric dismissed it for her.

"Sonny, have you had the opportunity to meet Caitlyn?" Olivia questioned figuring it was good time to get the introduction in. Caitlyn stood up to shake his hand and compliment him on his home and as she moved on to compliment him on his family the front door opened to Alexis, Kristina, and Molly. Both girls rushed into the den to give their fathers a warm greeting.

************

"Did she come back?" Lucky questioned Nikolas on the porch. Most of the Spencer's had already gathered inside Lulu and Matt were off playing with Cam and Spencer while Jake scanned the Christmas presents. Lucas and Liz chatted in the kitchen while cleaning up after breakfast. Bobbie sat in the living room with Carly and Jason holding baby Britni as she slept.

"No, there was nothing after everyone left." Nikolas answered which only worried him further.

"Do you believe her?" Lucky asked trying to get his perspective on the situation before igniting mass panic.

"I believe that something is going down; something bad. We don't know when, or how, or who the threat is actually coming from, but Helena isn't the April fool's type." Nikolas answered cryptically.

"Then how do we keep the people we care about safe while we figure the rest out?"

"I'm working on that, but we should probably go inside before people get suspicious." Nik suggested.

"When is your father getting here?" Bobbie inquired as Lucky walked in.

"Soon, I think." Lucky responded; he could never be sure of the if and when as it came to Luke during the holidays.

"Are you asking about me?" Ethan asked coming into the house with Mercedes on his arm.

"Not quite, but the kids were waiting on you for the present opening." Carly answered back to Ethan.

"I'm sorry, if I were to have known that…" Ethan started.

"It's my fault." Mercedes started to explain. She had gone to Christmas morning service with her family. Ethan met up with her afterwards to bring her over.

"Don't listen to her." Lulu shot Carly a dirty look. "The kids are fine, and you certainly are not the last ones here."

Carly smiled to indicate she was only kidding and allowed Mercedes to take the seat next to her. Ethan sat on the arm of the couch that was quickly filling up. "What would possess you to spend your day off with us freaks?" Carly teased Mercedes.

"And miss the opportunity to spend the day with that little princess?" Mercedes cooed over Britni.

"I feel used." Ethan murmured to himself. Mercedes heard him and took his hand and smiled.

"Here, have some eggnog." Nikolas handed him a glass.

"I don't suppose I have to tell you what will happen if you hurt her?" Jason confronted Ethan about the brewing relationship with the kids' nanny. The implied threat by the former mob enforcer was enough to send a shiver down Ethan's spine.

"Did I just hear you threaten someone in my living room?" Lucky questioned the intelligence of doing such in the home of a PCPD detective.

"No. I was going to sic Carly on him." He responded.

Before Ethan had the chance to take a sigh of relief Matt commented. "Trust me, that is worse. At least Morgan would be humane about it."

Carly smirked at the implication.

"Not that I have inclination of doing so, but Carly wouldn't hurt me, I'm family." Ethan grinned hoping to get Carly to agree.

"She was family first." Carly replied simply.

"I am?" Mercedes questioned. She felt the same way about the Corinthos-Jax household. Somewhere between visiting them when her cousin Leticia was taking care of the boys and her embedding into their life she became a part of the family.

"Of course." Carly responded as if she didn't need to ask.

"Hope I'm not interrupted anything important." Luke said walking in from the cold.

"Where have you been?" Bobbie got up to greet her brother.

"Oh, I had a last minute surprise I needed to pick up."

"On Christmas morning?" Lulu questioned. "Is anything open?"

"The airport is." Leslie arrived after him with luggage in hand.

"Where did you go?" Lucky inquired; he knew he had been busy lately but couldn't recall his grandmother mentioning a trip she might be going on.

"Not me." Leslie responded.

Then someone else entered the living room carrying a big bag of gifts. "I think we have everything." She commented.

"Mom!" Lulu screamed and ran towards the door.

***********

Alexis had pulled Sonny into the entry after the boys showed up with Mike before getting into the gift opening.

"If this has anything to do with the trial now is not the time to discuss it." Sonny warned her before she had the opportunity to gloat about the win.

Alexis shook her head at his arrogance. It had nothing to do with him, and part of her feared getting him involved. "Sonny, I know I have been resistant on putting guards on the girls in the past…"

"That's an understatement." He quipped.

"Be that as it may, I'm now asking for your help."

"All you ever had to do was ask, but I'd like to know why. Why now?"

"I wouldn't mind hearing the answer to that, too." Ric came in to the conversation. "I'm sorry for intruding, but if my daughter is in danger I would like to know."

"Helena came for a visit at Wyndemere yesterday. She was clear that something is in the works and that nobody was safe." Alexis replied. "She mentioned a Cassadine heir that is hell bent on destruction like we've never seen before."

"Nobody is safe?" Ric questioned.

"She specifically mentioned the Cassadine's, Spencer's, and Scorpio's. I don't know how extended the reach goes."

"Meaning Kristina and Molly are definitely at risk and you don't know about Michael and Morgan." Sonny surmised.

"I think Molly should come with me to LA for awhile." Ric responded to the situation. It was never his plan to stay in PC forever. He would continue working the Claudia case, and finding grounds for an appeal, but he had his firm to get back to after the holidays.

"No. The last thing the girls need is to be split up and taken from school. I just wanted more supervision when they're out of the house." Alexis replied.

"Then you are seriously underestimating Helena." Ric argued. "These girls need to be taken out of their normal routine. I would be more than willing to take Kristina as well but I doubt Sonny here would be appreciative of that."

"This business I've dealt with a lot of crazies and psychos looking to get ahead by any means necessary, but this is a completely different ballgame where the normal rules cease to exist. If Alexis thinks that sending her to the opposite side of the continent will keep my daughter safe I won't argue, but she will go with guards."

Alexis hated this; the danger was supposed to be coming from their father's, not her. She couldn't imagine sending them away from her. "We can discuss this with the girls after."

"Her parents are still nervous about us going away together, but said if we could find an adult to go with on the ski trip they might let her go." Michael explained as Sonny, Alexis, and Ric re-entered the den. "And apparently Kevin and Trish both being eighteen doesn't count."

"What about Zander?" Caitlyn questioned. "He's gotten good on the slopes since moving out to Colorado and isn't busy until the fourth."

"Do you think you could ask him?" Michael requested thinking it could be an acceptable compromise.

"Are you sure your brother wants to spend a week with a bunch of high schoolers?" Dante asked.

"He might; if he gets to invite someone." She hinted.

"And where are Cam and Jake going to be while you're playing matchmaker?" Johnny questioned.

"I'll figure something out." Caitlyn responded.

"What about you, Krissy, are you going skiing?" Morgan asked.

"I don't…" Kristina started.

"No." Alexis responded.

"Why don't we move on to presents?" Olivia suggested feeling like something bigger was going on.

"Great idea." Mike added moving toward the tree.

"Here, I can help." Molly volunteered. She handed out the stocking as Mike went around passing the gifts.

************

Laura went around the room greeting her family who were all surprised to her. She paid extra attention to the young man that she could recognize a mile away as being Luke's son. She had only seen Ethan in pictures, but he was even more handsome and charming in person.

"Mom, why didn't you tell us?" Lulu cried in joy and then turned to her father. "And how long have you known?"

Both of Laura's sons were interested in the reply.

"I found out the week after Thanksgiving that I had a few days off work to use up before the end of the year and therapy is down to bi-weekly." She explained. Laura was working for a cosmetics company in Paris doing much of the same stuff as she had for Deception without all of the responsibility. It was a great way to occupy her time and she enjoyed the work immensely.

"It was my idea to keep it a secret." Luke defended her.

"But I accidently let it out to my mom." Laura confessed.

"Hey boys, go say hi to Grandma Laura." Liz encouraged Cam, Spencer, and Jake. Jake shied away into his mother's grasp but the other two ran at the seat Laura was sitting on. She scooped the boys as tight as she could, giving each a kiss on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas grandma." Cam smiled. "Did mommy tell you that I have another daddy?"

The last time she talked to Lucky she had gotten the update of Zander's reemergence into Cam's life and what that meant for him. "I heard; you seem excited."

"Uh huh!" He shook his head, and started to list the presents that he had gotten from Zander, Caitlyn, Steven, and grams the day before.

"That's great." Laura encouraged the little one. Spencer got into it by telling her about what he had received from Alexis and the girls.

"Boys, how about we open these presents." Lucky suggested to them.

"Yah!" Both jumped from the seats and started grabbing for the gifts, and then showing them to the grown ups to direct to the right person.

"How are you doing?" Laura questioned Carly. Her conversations with Lulu over the month had mostly consisted of Crimson news and Carly updates. The night of her stroke Lulu spent an hour on the phone crying to her mom.

Carly smiled, not wanting to appear insensitive, but she couldn't wait for the day that her health was a non issue. "I'm well; I've been readjusting to having an infant in the house."

"She's adorable." Laura commented peaking over Bobbie's shoulder at Britni.

"I've been spoiled. She is so well tempered. If I didn't know better I wouldn't believe she was mine."

"Just wait until she hits puberty." Luke warned her.

Jason groaned. "Don't make me think about that."

"What's wrong Jase, can't handle two Carly's in the house?" Lucky teased.

"Could you?" Nik rebutted.

"Hey, hey now. Let's be nice." Mercedes stood up for her.

"Thank you." Carly finally responded; she looked at the presents that had been delivered to everyone and changed the subject. "We get to open these now, right?"

"What about your gifts mom? We sent those out to Paris last week." Lulu questioned.

"Don't worry, I brought those with." Laura insisted and handed out her presents from the bag while keeping her own. They decided to open the gifts chronologically starting with the youngest and working their way up to Leslie. Carly started with Britni's gifts; Cam was adamant that she started with the present from him and Jake. She opened up to a little pink stuffed bunny rabbit that Cam swore he and Jake picked out without any help from mom. Next was Jake who pushed away Liz in any attempt to help him unwrap his present. Jason watched as his son's gaze beamed when he unwrapped the toy motorcycle that he had gotten him. Both Spencer and Cameron tore through their piles as the parents attempted to keep a record of what was given by whom.

Laura couldn't stop smiling as her grandchildren and children not only opened their gifts but delighted in the feeling of watching their loved ones opened theirs. It was a reminder of how close the family was and the spirit of giving which was the defining characteristic of the holiday and the reason she loved it so much.


	122. Chapter 122

"Oh my God, Johnny, this is exactly what I wanted!" Caitlyn exclaimed pulling out the acoustic-electric style guitar in black and purple made with a narrower neck and built in tuner. Johnny knew it was perfect when he saw it. He and Olivia went together on getting that and the amplifier.

"Way to show me up, man." Dante outwardly kidded. He had spent the past week trying to get her to tell him anything that she wanted and finally decided on a designer running suit and VS swim suit. He didn't doubt her when she said she loved them, but they didn't make her eyes light up the same way as when she unwrapped the guitar.

"That's cool!" Molly admired it. "How do you play it?"

"You hold it like this." Caitlyn explained by resting it against Molly's knee and guiding her left hand to the neck of the instrument allowing her to strum with her right hand. "Put your index finger here, middle finger there, and ring finger here…"

"Like this?" Molly inquired.

"Perfect; that's your C cord."

Molly kept her fingers in place and strummed the strings repeatedly. Her gaze lit up as she played. Ric looked over to Alexis who had her head buried in her hand; that wasn't what she had in mind when she suggested to the girls to get involved in school band.

"You and Johnny should play something." Morgan suggested. Olivia had given Johnny a keyboard which she knew would fit nicely in his apartment.

"I'd be okay with that." Caitlyn replied looking to Johnny who nodded his agreement. "But I do have one catch."

"What's that?" Morgan asked her.

"I've heard rumors that you're an excellent singer. How would you feel about helping out?"

"Sure, which song?"

Johnny waved them over into a huddle. The others watched as the three hashed out something they all felt comfortable enough performing. Thirty seconds passed before they broke and Caitlyn started fiddling with the keys to tune the guitar. Johnny started with an intro signifying Morgan to start the lyrics.

"Rocking around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop; mistletoe strung where you can see every couple tries to stop. Rocking around the Christmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring; later we'll have some pumpkin pie and we'll do some caroling."

Caitlyn joined in with Morgan for the chorus. "You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear voices singing let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly. Rocking around the Christmas tree; have a happy holiday. Everyone dancing merrily in a new old fashioned way!"

Johnny played a bridge on the keyboard as Morgan and Caitlyn danced together then each broke away. Morgan invited Molly to join as Caitlyn grabbed Dante. Michael and Kristina got up to dance with Grandpa Mike after watching Sonny and Olivia rocking out. Alexis reluctantly accepted Ric's offer to dance.

"You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear voices singing let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly. Rocking around the Christmas tree; have a happy holiday. Everyone dancing merrily in a new old fashioned way!" Everyone sung the end of the song together.

***********

Sam gazed at the computer as Spinelli attempted to pull up any information on the illusive Valentin Cassadine. Thus far all he had been able to acquire was a one page birth and death record; both from Greece. There was no criminal history, and even the medical history came up blank.

"This was a big waste of time." Sam finally surmised and handed Spinelli an orange soda while she studied the birth and death certificate he had printed out for her.

"Perhaps the clues to this puzzle are in the information not provided." Spinelli spoke up before joyously taking a sip from his typical subsidence.

She shook her head hoping that he was right, but still feeling defeated. "What clues are you getting from this?"

"From the Jackal's vantage point the obvious is that whoever this mystifying heir is or was the circumstances of his existence has always been clouded by controversy."

"Starting with his birth." Sam concurred. "Which means…?"

"Excavating the history of his maternity; one Adriana Katsaros." He read from the birth certificate and then pressed a few more keys to bring up her obituary.

"How is your Greece?" Sam asked looking at the page long newspaper article outlining her death.

"Unfortunately the Jackal has yet to tackle the spoken languages of the Mediterranean."

"Then we go to someone that has." Sam smirked figuring Nikolas could be of use in this situation.

***********

Liz had just settled the boys down for a nap to reenter to a less festive living room. Both Nik and Lucky figured with everyone there it was time to discuss strategy.

"What's going on?" Ethan asked after the troubling 'we need to talk' initiation of conversation.

Lucky urged Nikolas to give the details. "Last night my grandmother returned with a chilling poem about a Cassadine heir hell bent on revenge. She mentioned three families, and no one from those families is safe."

"What is it dad?" Lucky questioned Luke whose appearance suggested he knew more than they did.

"This summer I heard rumors that Helena had fallen ill; she was in the care of a nurse and apparently it was part of Cassadine family secret." Luke explained.

"She didn't look ill to me when we broke you out of there." Ethan argued remembering back to that fall when they finally tracked down Helena and Luke.

"Are we to assume that two of the families are the Spencer's and Cassadine's?" Laura questioned fearing for her family's safety.

"And the third; the Scorpio's." Lucky confirmed. "Alexis and the girls were with us yesterday when Helena gave the grand performance and I spoke with Mac this morning about it."

"What about Patrick and Robin?" Matt questioned.

"Mac was going to fill in that entire family." Lucky replied.

"What do we know about this heir?" Jason inquired. Helena tended to focus her mayhem on Luke, Laura, and their kin, but he couldn't help remember news of Stavros setting his sights on Carly the last time he set out to reign terror on the town. With this unknown entity in the mix there were too many variables to take into account.

"Grandmother called him Valentin, another of Mikkos' children. Alexis remembers mention of him growing up. He wouldn't have been much older than she was. When things got real bad Valentin was blamed for it, but Alexis assumes it was Helena's handy work." Nikolas explained.

"We don't even know if this Valentin guy exists?" Lulu ascertained.

"He did exist, at least according to the tale, he was presumed dead…"

"Just like every other Cassadine." Luke interrupted his son. "You guys think I'm kidding when I say the whole lot of them are vampires."

"Gee thanks." Nikolas quipped.

"Okay, fine, besides you and Natasha."

"Hang on." Lucky interrupted them to take a call that caused him to walk out of the room.

"What do we do? Stay here like sitting ducks or spread out to all ends of the planet?" Lulu asked the question they were all thinking.

"I can't stay here." Laura argued; she had a life and therapy to get back to in France.

"Mom, you're Helena's favorite victim." Lulu disputed.

"We may not be dealing with Helena, though." Carly countered. "Besides Laura hasn't been a prominent force in this family for awhile, no offense."

"None taken." Laura insisted.

"What are you thinking niece?" Luke asked noticing her wheels turning.

"I'm thinking that with a new generation of Cassadine threat we're looking at the next age of victims, and seeing they are all about the damsel in distress my guess would be Lulu, Robin, or Sam."

"I'd agree with that." Luke nodded.

"What about the kids? Helena has already gone after Spencer." Leslie added.

Liz listened on carefully; technically neither of her children contained Spencer blood, but that didn't mean they couldn't be used as leverage against Lucky.

"Maybe it's best that you and the boys go with Laura to Paris for awhile; just until we figure out exactly what we're dealing with." Luke replied. "You too." He looked at Liz.

"I can't take off work that long; the hospital is understaffed as it is."

"We can find someone to fill in for you." Bobbie insisted.

"Who? It's not good for the patients if the staff is overworked. I have a couple days off before the New Year if the boys need help settling in, but… what if I'm a target? Then we're leading this Valentin guy straight to them." Upon her speculation Lucky reemerged.

"What did she say?" Nik asked him.

"Sam's on her way back here. She didn't find much. Valentine Cassadine was born in Greece on October 31, 1962 and died June 13, 1980."

"I think I've seen this one." Matt kidded. "At the age of 9 he killed his sister on All Hallows Eve, just to break out of the sanitarium 16-years-later to go after the baby sitter down the street where he is presumed dead in a fire."

"Wrong movie." Mercedes responded after looking up something on her phone. "Based on my calculations this guy 'died' by water."

"How do you suppose that?" Ethan asked her.

"Date of death… Friday the thirteenth." She responded.

"This is serious!" Luke fired at them.

"Oh come on, you're the one talking vampires." Carly argued.

"Is that all Sam found?" Lucas finally spoke up bringing the conversation back into focus.

"About Valentin, yes. But Spinelli was able to locate an article about his mother that she wanted you to translate." Lucky informed his brother.


	123. Chapter 123

"How about that rematch?" Morgan challenged Dante.

"I thought you were going over to the Spencer's this afternoon?" Dante questioned the boy.

"There's no time limit." Morgan assured him. "Mom said that she would call if she left Lucky's before we got there."

"In that case, game is on."

"Can I watch?" Molly asked.

"Sure, you can play if you want." Morgan offered.

"Molly, why don't you let Morgan and Dante get it started. Sonny and I need to talk to you your sister for a little bit." Ric insisted.

"Okay…" She replied having an idea of what needed to be discussed.

"Dad, should I go too?" Michael asked Sonny after watching Morgan and Dante go upstairs.

"No, you should probably stay for this." He suggested; Sonny felt it best for Carly to decide how to approach Morgan about the situation. Mike and Olivia tucked themselves away in the kitchen to prepare an early dinner.

"You want to go for a walk?" Caitlyn asked Johnny who stood next to her.

As Johnny nodded Sonny suggested to take Milo with. Milo stood by the door waiting to follow behind.

"What's going on?" Michael questioned. He felt like he was the only one in the room not aware of the current situation.

"Helena came back last night." Kristina told him. "She said that there's a new threat out to get the Cassadine, Spencer, and Scorpio families."

"Dad deals with threats all the time." Michael replied seemingly not as frightened as he should be.

"Not like this." Alexis insisted. "With the Cassadine's there is no method or reason except carnage."

Molly sat on her father's lap trying to be brave, but the thought of her great grandmother's performance brought on paralyzing fear.

"Your fathers and I were discussing this, and it's up to you, but we think it might be a good idea if you went to Los Angeles for awhile." Alexis explained.

"We can call your school and make arrangements for homework." Ric continued.

"And I'll make sure the place is guarded." Sonny added.

"It sounds like it has already been decided." Kristina replied. Waiting a moment for a response she continued. "I agree, if the danger is here we should be somewhere else, but I'm not going without my mom."

"Me either." Molly added.

"Girls, that's sweet but I have stay here with Sam and Nikolas to try to figure this out before anyone gets hurt. Besides, I can take care of myself better if I know you two are safe."

"And I'll make sure that she's taken care of." Sonny insisted.

Kristina shook her head. "That's your answer for everything, isn't it dad? Just throw a guard at the situation. Where were they when Michael was shot?! Where were they when my aunt died in your warehouse? You're kidding yourself if you think you can protect anybody!" She was scared; she was hoping to get through the holiday without exposing that fear.

"Krissy, I know you're scared but yelling at dad isn't going to help." Michael tried calming her.

"Am I really getting this talk from you?" She questioned the hypocrisy of it while attempting to hold back her own tears.

"I've been known to verbally attack people for no good reason, but there's this intelligence lady in my life that has repeatedly told me to take a step back and think about what I'm actually feeling before I open my mouth."

"Uh huh, and how often do you actually follow my advice?"

"I'm working on that." He grinned feeling her animosity subside.

"I'm sorry dad." Kristina apologized. "And I will go with Molly to LA if that what everyone thinks is best. Besides; it'll give me the chance to check out the UCLA campus."

"Whoa, what?" Alexis flipped around.

"As a back-up, you know, in case Yale doesn't work out."

"You know you're going to Harvard, right?" Ric whispered to Molly.

"Can I please make it to middle school before we decide what college I am going to?" Molly objected.

"When are you guys leaving?" Michael asked Ric.

"I still need to book the tickets, but the sooner the better. I'm thinking tomorrow morning."

"Can I go upstairs?" Molly asked the adults to be excused.

Both parents nodded. She crawled out of Ric's lap to Morgan's room in order to distract herself as the race finished with Dante choking on the dust left in Morgan's victory.

***********

Feeling her blood pressure spiking and her blood sugar dropping Carly snuck out of the Spencer living room into the kitchen to poor herself a glass of orange juice when Elizabeth came in.

"Can I get you anything?" Elizabeth offered.

"I'm fine." Carly replied hating feeling vulnerable around anyone forget Elizabeth Webber.

"I'm a nurse." Liz countered. "Now I could make a big show out of this and bring in your mother, Jason, or how about Doctor Hunter?"

Carly sat down at the table in submission. "Any juice?"

"Lucky is pretty good about keeping some on hand." Liz replied working her way around the kitchen effortlessly knowing where everything was placed. Once two glasses were poured Liz sat with her to witness Carly digging into her purse for the afternoon dosage of medication.

"How is it going with Zander?" Carly asked interrupting the awkward silence between them.

"Cam is having a ball with him around."

Carly smirked. "I wasn't asking about Cam."

"Do you think I would be betraying Emily's memory if…?" Elizabeth started. She wasn't sure where the question was coming from or why she would go to Carly, of all people, to answer it.

"Emily divorced Zander for Nikolas; besides, even if she hadn't Em was one of those who would have wanted both her best friend and husband to move on with their life and be happy." Carly answered. "But then again, I'm the last person to throw stones. Courtney's ashes were barely scattered by the time Jax and I started flirting with one another."

"A connection over a child is a powerful thing." Liz replied.

"Yes, it is." She thought back to that first formed bond with Michael and Jason. She never had that with AJ, probably because she never wanted it, but since the day she walked in from the rain Jason was Michael's father. Now, eighteen years later she was finally getting the family she always dreamed of.

"Is everything alright in here?" Jason asked peering his head in the kitchen. "Carly?"

"Fine. I swear." She replied. "What's going on?"

Jason didn't want to argue but the flushed face and the crinkle in her forehead indicating a headache told him otherwise. "Sam and Spinelli arrived with the article. Nikolas is looking over it now."

"I suppose I should go see what this thing says." Elizabeth stood up to leave Carly and Jason alone. In her wildest imagination she never thought the situation would arise that Jake would be safer publicly announced as Jason's son over Lucky's.

Carly stood up after to find comfort in Jason's embrace. "Do you want to go home?" He whispered to her.

"We should find out…"

"No, not if all it's going to do is stress you out more. I can have Spinelli call me with an update later and we can take Britni back to the house so the both of you can lay down."

"Are you putting me on the same nap schedule as my month old infant?"

"It looks like. I thought that's what all mother's used their children's nap times for." Jason responded making it less like he was telling her what to do.

"If you insist." She caved. Jason used that momentary lapse to retrieve Britni while Carly called Morgan to let him know where they were going to be.

***********

Johnny took Caitlyn on a trail that lead down to the pond on the Corinthos property.

"I wonder if it's frozen yet." Caitlyn pondered taking a small step on the ice.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Johnny shook his head as she took a couple more steps back. "If you fall through I'm not going out there to save you."

"You would let me catch hypothermia and drown?"

"Yeah, and then I would make sure you got written up in the Darwin awards for it." Johnny teased.

Caitlyn looked back at him pensively standing in the middle of the ice and brushing away some of the built up snow around her before successfully attempting a triple pirouette.

"Nice, now that you're done with that you want to come back where it's solid?"

"One more thing." She insisted taking a few glides on the ice before kicking her leg up in the air in a tour jete. Her landing was steady on her supporting leg, but gently went down on one knee to glide back.

"What is she doing?" Milo asked approaching them. He had been keeping his distance allowing them their privacy, but became cautious as she played on the ice.

"Showing off." Johnny answered and marched onto the ice himself to pick her up and spin her around over his shoulder until they both fell into the snow. Unaware of how hard she may have hit the ground he cradled her head. "Are you okay?"

She gazed up on his intensively concerned expression. "You worry too much." She insisted still laying in his arms.

"Sorry, I'll work on that." He responded offering to help her to her feet. Caitlyn shrugged it off. "I wouldn't want to give the illusion that I care."

"I appreciate that you care." She replied once standing and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

***********

"All right, Cassadine, what does it say?" Luke asked once Nikolas had time to read through the article a couple times.

"Ms. Katsaros went missing the night before she was to be married. Her fiancé was a local authority and lead the search for her, but it was quickly abandoned when no evidence of foul play was discovered. The fiancé left the force and continued his own search until he died of a fatal heart attack only six months later. Ms. Katsaros' body turned up fourteen-years afterwards in an unmarked grave under the tomb I Kimomeni in Athens, Greece. Based on the autopsy it is believed that she died from a laceration to the throat, and the date of death was traced back to late 1962. She was survived by her mother and father, a sister, 3 brothers, and 5 nieces and nephews." Nikolas explained.

"Does it say when she went missing?" Lucas questioned.

"April of 1962."

"She would have been about three months pregnant then." Matt responded trying to help gather the facts together.

"Do we know who she was engaged to?" Sam asked.

"It doesn't say, but maybe there is a wedding announcement somewhere in cyber space." Nik said as everyone looked towards Spinelli.

"We don't know that this kid was a Cassadine then, right? He could have just as easily been this other guys." Lulu added.

"But then why run off the night before you're about to be married?" Mercedes questioned.

"Who says she did?" Ethan postured.

"This sounds like it has Helena written all over it." Luke commented. "This lady turns up missing before her wedding night and dies within months of giving birth to a possible Cassadine heir by a slash across the throat and then buried under some ancient tomb."

"What happened to the child? There's no record in here that he was even born. Nothing to suggest that anyone knew this lady had a son that would have been about fourteen years old when this article came out." Laura responded.

"Maybe Helena kept him and brainwashed him like she did with Lucky." Liz speculated.

"For seventeen years? Without Stephan, Stavros, or Alexis knowing about this guys existence. It seems unlikely." Lucky replied.

"You're the detective, what do you propose?" Ethan questioned.

"I'm not sure, but I think we could use Robert and Alexis' help with this. First thing is figuring out what Valentin's reign of terror consisted of and when it occurred."

"No, the first thing is figuring out what we're going to do to keep everyone safe." Nikolas argued specifically looking at his sister and cousin.

"I'm not going anywhere." Lulu replied adamantly.

"Neither am I." Sam refused. "This is my case, and I'm helping to solve it."

"If you're staying in town then you are living with me." Lucky told both of them not willing to take any chances of them being unsupervised. "And I still think it's best if mom and grandma take the boys to Paris."

"I can agree to that; when would they be leaving?" Liz asked hesitantly.

"I would hate to cut my visit short, but…" Laura started.

"As soon as Spinelli over there can get the tickets booked." Luke answered for her.

"Do you think it would be okay if I brought them home for a little bit?" Liz asked dejected; hoping for the opportunity to explain and let Zander see Cam before he had to leave the continent.

"I'll go with you." Nikolas volunteered.

"No!" Liz objected. "We'll take one of those unmarked cars out there."

"Say hi to Zander for me." Nik snickered figuring he was the reason for the strong reaction.


	124. Chapter 124

"Where have you two been? You're soaking wet." Olivia observed as Caitlyn and Johnny re-entered the premises.

"It's just snow." Caitlyn replied attempting to brush the rest of it away.

"Would you like some coffee?" Sonny offered to help warm them up. Both nodded in response.

"Let me guess, snow forts?" Mike teased.

"How did you know?" Johnny kidded back. "Of course this one wouldn't settle for a measly fort, she wanted a third story penthouse suite."

"Actually I said fifth story, but when the first two kept caving in I settled for the third." Caitlyn said playing along. "I suppose I missed Dante bringing Morgan over to the Spencer's?"

"No, the kids are upstairs." Sonny replied bringing the beverages.

"All five of them?" Caitlyn laughed.

"Yeah, all five of them." Sonny snickered. Although Dante was in his mid twenties and a mob employee around Morgan his boyish charm was sure to surface.

"I should check to make sure they're not getting into any trouble." She smiled before making her way up to Morgan's room. Not entirely knowing which room was Morgan's she figured she would hear the noise from outside. Her attention was taken by an open door.

"I haven't been in here in ages." Johnny said startling her. "You see that crib over there?"

"Yeah."

"I put it together." Johnny boasted feeling tears forming. He walked into the nursery allowing her to follow. Everything was set up ready and waiting for that little girl to make her entrance into the world. Inside the crib was a pink teddy bear that Sonny had gotten for Claudia when they found out the sex of the baby. "I doubt anyone actually believes it but she fell in love with that baby the moment she found out she was pregnant."

"Why would anyone doubt…?"

"Because it was conceived as a way to protect herself. It, there I go again, she, Gianna…"

He hadn't let himself cry over it since the day of the memorial, but over the eight months Claudia was carrying his niece he felt his own excitement about being an uncle mount only to be devastated the day of the car crash. He held onto Caitlyn allowing the tears stream down his face. There was something about the holiday season that intensified emotions; both the good and the bad. She felt herself wanting to be the one comforting him, and held on tighter until the last tear dropped.

Caitlyn used her touch to wipe away the condensation from his cheeks. For the second time that day they found themselves eye in eye staring deep in the window to the soul.

"Did you guys get lost?" Sonny asked standing in the doorway. "Morgan's room is that way."

"I'm sorry…" Caitlyn started.

"Don't be, I must have left the door open." Sonny replied. Before going to the cemetery he spent the waking hours in the room sitting on the rocking chair.

"We were just leaving." Caitlyn said moving past him uncomfortably.

On Johnny's way out Sonny stopped him. "Did I interrupt something?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Johnny insisted.

"John, Dante is my son. I'm not going to stand by and let the two of you hurt him and his mother."

"That's not what you walked in on." He maintained before walking out.

When Caitlyn found the room Molly and Kristina were playing a video game. "How did the rematch go?"

"Let's not talk about that." Dante replied hanging his head down.

"What was it, five wins before he admitted defeat?" Michael asked his little brother.

"Six." Morgan beamed.

"Nice job." Caitlyn held out her hand for a high five, which Morgan complied.

"Whose side are you on?" Dante objected.

"Ooh, poor baby need some TLC?" She mocked. Dante grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bed next to him.

"Shh." Kristina hushed them as her digits struck the controller at record speeds. "I think I got this."

"I don't think so." Molly said quickly gaining ground on her.

"What happened to going to Lucky's?" She asked wondering what inspired what appeared to be an afternoon video game tournament.

"Mom called. She and Jason brought Brit home after the present opening. She said that I could stay here as long as I wanted."

"I'm sure she did." Kristina teased figuring that Carly and Jason were enjoying their own Christmas celebration.

"It's not that. She's probably going to be spending the afternoon sleeping. She mentioned having a headache."

Michael could only imagine that the conversation in the Spencer living room went similar to the one they had regarding Helena and this new Cassadine threat with emphasis placed on securing the safety of the youngest generation. The question was what that meant for he and Morgan who already lived under armed guards and were probably least likely to be targeted. He hoped that the fear his mother had experienced during Claudia's trial wouldn't carry over and prevent him from going on the ski-trip. He was too excited about trying out the new snowboard Sonny had gotten him for Christmas.

***********

"Any better?" Jason asked brushing a stray hair out of the way as she started to stir.

"Much." She smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and melted into her embrace; kissing her neck and brushing the spaghetti straps from the tank top she was wearing off her shoulders. Her touch caressed his abdomen to chest before pulling the t-shirt over his head. She laid back as Jason hovered over her marveling in his image.

When the phone rang he shook his head in frustration.

"You should take that, and I should get that." Carly responded to the noises coming from the baby monitor. She quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and adjusted the tank she was wearing before leaving the room. Jason watched until she left his visual field and then answered to get the update from Spinelli.

Britni woke up from her nap hungry and needing to be changed. Carly started by taking her from the crib and placing her daughter on the changing table. The onesy she was wearing was pink with the words 'spoiled rotten' printed across it. Carly looked to the corner of the room where all of the infants gifts were piled up still needing to find a home among the nursery.

"Are you spoiled?" Carly asked tickling Britni's exposed tummy. "No, I don't think so. I just think there are a lot of people that love you, and want to keep you safe and happy."

Once she was changed and Carly was able to get her to wail in joy with a few raspberries Carly picked her up to bring her downstairs to warm up a bottle. On her way down to the kitchen the doorbell rang and Carly allowed Jax in. "How was your morning?" She asked him.

"Good; Ned and I were able to catch up some more."

"Is he leaving soon?"

"In a couple of days, but he is going to be coming back in a couple months for a longer stay. Apparently Dillon has a big project coming up in Los Angeles."

"That's great; I wonder if he's going to remember all us little people when the Grammy's start coming in his way."

"Carly, I got a concerned call from Alexis this afternoon, and I'm sure you've heard by now what it's about." He finally said getting to the point of the unexpected visit. "Have you heard that Ric is taking the girls out of town for awhile?"

"No, I haven't."

"My mom goes home tonight. I want to go with her and take Britni." Jax explained.

"No." She shook her head.

"Carly, she's a Spencer."

"I know, but no. The probability is that this household will not be targeted, and I just got back not that long ago. I need to be here, with them, as a family. Jason has guards on us, and I won't let anything happen to my children."

"You're trusting Jason with our daughter's life?"

"Of course I'm trusting Jason." She argued. "I understand that this is a dangerous situation, but when are we not in danger from something or someone?"

"Are you honestly saying this after what happened to Michael?"

"What happened to Michael occurred because I didn't follow my instincts, Jax. That's not happening again. I am not sending my infant daughter to the other side of the globe!"

"What's going on down here?" Jason asked coming down the stairs still shirtless.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into her." Jax said looking away.

Jason looked to Carly for an explanation. "I'm not changing my mind, and your daughter is hungry. Excuse me."

Jason slipped on the t-shirt he was carrying and descended down to the ground level. "You heard her."

"My mom is taking my private jet tonight to Australia. With Carly's permission I want to take Britni with. Jason, it's for our daughter's protection. I know Carly has blind faith in you, but you know better than anyone that you can't protect everybody."

"What I know is that because of you Carly missed out on the first days of her daughter's life, and then had to spend another two weeks away from her. You can't blame her for wanting this time with Britni." Jason argued for her.

"Even at the risk of her safety; hell, Carly can go with."

Jason snickered. "You'd like that wouldn't you? You think that if you keep postponing the divorce long enough, and you take her out of town while bonding over your daughter she's just going to forgive you?"

"No Morgan, you're the one that exploits that kind of opportunity to get her in bed with you."

"I think it's about time that you get out of here." Jason suggested feeling his anger swell.

"My pleasure, but if this Cassadine threat lays one finger on my daughter under your watch you will pay with your livelihood."

"I'm shaking." Jason uttered as Jax headed for the door.

**********

"Helena's back?" Zander repeated attempting to process everything Liz had thrown at him; including the part where his son was going to be spending the next few weeks away in Paris for his own protection. He had come over to the house as soon as Elizabeth called asking to see him. They were watching Cam and Jake playing in the living room while spying from the kitchen table.

"We don't know if it's Helena we're dealing with." She clarified again.

"It's always something here, isn't it?"

"Always." Liz sarcastically snickered.

"So, what is the weather like in Paris this time of the year?" Zander asked.

"I don't know; rainy but cold." She answered skeptically. "Why?"

"Because I'm not going to waste the last hours I have with my family, let's get you guys packed up."

Elizabeth smiled at the thought of them being a family. "I think you misunderstood…"

"You're not taking the boys to Paris?" He questioned trying to figure out the communication error.

"No, Leslie and Laura are taking the boys to Paris." She clarified.

"Oh. Okay. Well then, we should get the boys packed up, drive them to the airport, and then get me situated."

Elizabeth shot him an inquisitive glace.

"I can stay in Cam's room or on the couch. Wherever you want, but you're not staying here alone with Helena Cassadine, or somewhere worse, on the loose."

"That's awfully chivalrous of you Mr. Smith, but what if I told you I didn't need some white knight playing my protector?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't…" As Zander attempted to apologize she leaned over to kiss him breaking his concentration completely.

"Ewe!" They heard Jake call from the neighboring room.

"Ewe?" Liz laughed as she questioned having remembered the two-year-olds insistence the night before.

Still shaken off guard Zander struggled to question her.

"I said I didn't need a protector; I don't want someone camping out on couch to make sure nothing goes bump in the night."

"What do you want?" He asked instead.

"A friend; a lover; a partner." She answered directly causing him to reach over and kiss her in response. It had been a long time since he felt that close to anyone. He had friends and co-workers in Colorado; girls that he flirted with, but he had left a part of him behind when he left Port Charles that he had believed was because of Emily.

"Maybe we should go upstairs." Cameron suggested to his little brother.

"Actually, we should all go upstairs." Elizabeth told her son's. "We need to pack so you two can stay with Grandma Laura for awhile in France."

"We're going to France?" Cam questioned his mother.

"Yep, home of the French toast, and French fries." Zander teased.

"French fries!" Jake exclaimed.

"And I heard that she's going to take you to Euro Disney." Liz added.

"Where we're going to see Mickey and Donald?" Cameron asked.

"Uh huh." Liz responded.

"Is it a whole family vacation?" Cam then questioned looking up at both Liz and Zander.

"Sorry bud, but your mom needs to work, and I have to find a job so I can get my own place here." Zander explained.

"You don't need your own place. You can stay here!" Cam decided.

"I think that's up to your mother, but I'm sure she would still like someone to help with the utilities."

"Uncle Nik can help with the abilities while we go to Disney." Cam pressed causing both adults to laugh while picking outfits out for the boys to wear.

**********

"Thank you for agreeing to come out with me." Laura offered Sam on the balcony of the family house. It was the dream home that she had always wanted, and she was proud that Lucky had kept the property in the Spencer family to use to raise his children.

"You're welcome, although I have to question why?" Sam asked the matriarch.

"My son has mentioned you a lot in the last few weeks."

"Here it comes." Sam shook her head imagining the worst.

"Here what comes?" Laura questioned.

"Look, I know that I'm not the type of girl that a guy wants to bring home to his mother. I knew how to con before I could talk. I can be selfish and impulsive. I get hurt and I lash out against the world, and…"

"Sam… I'm not here to judge you." Laura stopped her. "I was married to Luke Spencer. Lucky grew up on the road hustling the billiard tables before he hit puberty."

"I've been told that he had his mother's heart, and his father's wit."

"One hell of a combination, huh?"

"I'd say." Sam smirked. "So if you didn't ask me to come out here to warn me off your son, then why did you?"

"To give you this." Laura responded handing her a wrapped gift.

"For me?"

Laura simply nodded her head while watching Sam unwrap the gift. She opened the jewelry box to reveal a gold brooch in the shape of a flying eagle with a diamond in its beak. It was in pristine condition, but aged, obviously not something recently purchased.

"I don't know what to say." Sam responded.

"I got this from Luke's Aunt Ruby. She was beloved, but she had a past. She did what she had to in order to survive; in order to provide for her family. She told me that the eagle represented bravery, courageousness, strength, and spirit in the effort to protect the precious stone."

"Thank you." Sam replied.

"I wish I had more time this visit to really get to know you, but I know enough to know that Aunt Ruby would be honored for you to have that."

Sam felt a knot in her throat start to tighten. She had known Laura by reputation only, and it was more than she could hope that she would be welcomed with open arms. Figuratively and literally as Laura offered Sam her embrace.


	125. Chapter 125

"They're gone, already?" Caitlyn questioned her brother at a table at the MetroCourt Grill.

"Yes. The boys left last night. I tried to call you…" Zander explained.

"My battery was running low so I turned my phone off." She explained. She had stayed at Sonny's through dinner and then she and Dante brought Morgan over to Carly's before going back to his place for the evening. Michael stayed overnight with Alexis and the girls to see them off early the next morning. Sonny had pulled Dante aside to explain the Cassadine situation so Caitlyn was aware of what was going on. "Does mean you staying at Liz'?"

"For the foreseeable future. Do you mind?"

"No. Not as long as I get this every once in awhile." She said taking a bite from her scrambled egg whites.

"I think I can handle that, but next time I'm covering the tab." Zander argued.

"You have to get that job first, besides I get the discount here, remember?"

"When do you start back up?"

"Oh, in about in hour." She replied looking at the time on her cell. "There was something else I wanted to talk to you about, but with everything going on I don't know if it's even still on the table anymore."

"What's that? And don't tell me it's another stunt to put me and Liz together."

"Well, apparently you can do that all on your own." She replied sarcastically referring to the new living arrangements. "Yeah, it was an attempt for you to have some time with her, but Michael found out that his girlfriend could go on the ski trip with him if there was some kind of adult supervision at the lodge. I figured that would be something that you could enjoy and spend some time away with the mother of your child."

"Liz did mention that she had a few days to use before the end of the year."

Caitlyn smirked. "And at this point I think Carly would prefer if there was some added security."

"I'd have to talk it over with Liz and Carly, but it could be a possibility. Wait…"

"What?" She questioned the concerned look on his face.

"All my skiing supplies are in Colorado."

Caitlyn laughed at the reply. "I'm sure the Quartermaine's have some extra equipment there."

"You don't understand this is some really good stuff." He argued. "Once I get settled, you and I should take a road trip down to Colorado to retrieve my belongings."

"I'd like that, but give me a couple weeks before going to Jax about more time off."

"He can't exactly hold you responsible for the last time." Zander replied. "Speaking of which, have you made that appointment to see the specialist."

"Not yet." She mumbled while looking away.

"Caitlyn Ariel." He said sternly.

"I will, promise. Geez, you almost sound like a big brother." She smirked.

"Almost?" He questioned and she nodded.

***********

"Robin, all I am saying is that I think we should make this decision together." Patrick attempted to plead his case with his wife.

"I want to make sure Emma is safe as well, but I just don't think that spreading everyone out over the globe is the best way to do it." Robin argued.

"The leading consensus is that you are among the top three targets." Matt interjected his opinion in the Drake living room.

"Based off of what? An idea that Carly had? She's hardly the leading expert in this situation."

"Point taken, but I am, and I think she's right." Robert informed his daughter.

"What makes you an expert on the Cassadine's?" Anna argued on the side of her daughter. "One lousy diamond heist?"

"That was a lot more complicated than a diamond heist, and no, I was bread to despise the Cassadine's." Robert retorted.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked her father never before being privy to that information.

"Forget I said anything." He brushed it off.

"No, if you have information that will help, we should hear it." Patrick insisted.

"I don't know what I have. The Cassadine's have always been placed with the same regard as that of Hitler."

"Why?" Robin questioned again.

"My father was this ruggedly handsome man's man. When he wasn't chasing after the bad guys he was out surfing off Seal Island." Robert explained.

"Off the coast of Australia; one of the highest concentrations of man killer sharks." Robin clarified to both Patrick and Matt.

"I never knew him to be afraid of anything, but I remember overhearing a conversation he had with my mom when I was young; it was before Mac was even walking. He was so upset, and said something about Mikkos being responsible for Ralph's death. I've seen my dad angry before, but that was the first and only time I saw my father in tears."

"Who's Ralph?" Anna inquired. It was the first time she had ever heard mention of the guy.

"I never asked." Robert admitted.

"Don't you think somebody should?!" Patrick exclaimed.

"It's kind of late now. My parents died a long time ago."

"There has to be a way to find out who Ralph is and if he what kind of ties he has to the Scorpio family. This could be the reason Valentin is after our daughter." Anna rebutted.

***********

Carly had just finished explaining the whole situation to Morgan when they heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Michael got up and volunteered. He had just gotten back from his the airport as Sonny's private jet took off with Ric, Kristina, Molly and a couple of his fathers most trusted employees inside.

"Is this a bad time?" Zander asked peering inside to see the tail end of the family discussion.

"No, come on in." Carly invited him.

Zander waved to Jason who gave a slight nod back. "What can we do for you?" Jason asked skipping through the pleasantries.

"Actually, I was told that I could do something to help Michael, but I wanted to run it past his mother first."

"This is about the ski trip." She gathered and saw the look of hope on her eldest' face. "God, I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Mom, you promised. Now Zander's willing to go with, and dad said that we can take Milo." Michael argued.

"Is that what you're offering? Taking a group of teenagers out to Vermont to go skiing?" Carly asked clarifying it from Zander.

"I heard the lieutenant would be more comfortable if there were adults around. I've already talked to Liz and she would welcome the distraction until she has to go back to work." Zander explained.

"Okay." Carly conceded. "The plan was to leave tomorrow evening and return the third. I would feel more comfortable if you were driving."

"I'm not sure about that." Michael teased.

"Why not?" Zander pressed.

"Because mom told us that you were the one that taught her how to drive." Michael responded.

"Good point." Morgan weighed in.

"Let's be fair guys, Zander could only work with what he was given." Jason kidded igniting an elbow to his gut.

"Not that I would ever expect to say these words, but thank you, Jason."

"Whoa, when did this turn into pick on Carly hour? I am doing much better behind the wheel of a car. It's been at least six months since the last time I rear ended anyone, and it was so the other person's fault. The light wasn't even yellow yet when they started slowing down."

"Yeah, but mom, when you see the break lights flashing in front of you, you need to start applying yours." Michael instructed.

"Break lights? I'm kidding." She responded quickly once all eyes in the room widened.

"Do me a favor Morgan, don't let your mom teach you to drive." Zander pleaded to the nine-year-old.

"Please, I learned that when I was out maneuvering mom in bumper cars when I was five. Max told me he would teach me, and Jax said that he would help me pick out a car when I got my license."

"You're too young to be thinking about this." Carly objected. "Next thing I know Britni is going to be telling me who's asking her out for prom."

"I'd say Jake, but that's gross considering they are cousins." Michael replied. Jason and Carly glanced to each other, smiled, and both shook their heads.

***********

"Hi Julie!" Caitlyn greeted the young woman at the front desk.

"Oh, Ms. Montgomery your nine o'clock has already arrived I had him start filling out some of the paperwork in your office." Julie handed her the sign in sheet for the spa.

"Thank you, but please call me Caitlyn." She told the girl that looked no more than two-years younger than her.

"Absolutely Ms. Mont… Caitlyn." She replied.

After breakfast she used the restroom to change before starting her shift. She walked into her office to find a boy in her chair with a laptop in front of him and the top of his head pointed towards her. "You must be Damian."

"That I am." The boy picked up his head.

"Spinelli?" She questioned.

"'Tis I, the Jackal, here for the services of her Spritely One." He handed over the papers. There was an emergency form, waiver, and a request for service that the first time clients needed to complete.

"Okay." She replied taken back. "Wh… what can I help you with?"

"It's been a reoccurring theme that the Jackal has wished to 'man up' were it to be not only of more use in the vocational sense, but to please his fair Maximista both physically as well as emotionally."

"That's… okay, but I haven't heard Maxie complaining about anything physically, as you put it."

"Am I to assume that this is a challenge even beyond your capable hands?" Spinelli assumed.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. If you would like to get into better physical condition I can help, but I need to know that this is for you and no one else."

"It is the sincerest and most heartfelt wish of the Jackal, and I will do whatever it is that you ask of me to bring it to fruition."

"All right, then let's start by talking about your diet. Um… it says here that you are looking to bulk up and tone which means we're probably going to increase the number of calories, but staying on a healthy balance of protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. Tell me a little bit about your current consumption."

"The Jackal's archetypal substance primarily consists of barbeque potato chips and orange soda." He admitted coyly.

"That's it?"

"No, the Jackal also partakes in burgers and pizza, Chinese food when available."

Caitlyn's jaw just about hit the floor as she heard sugar, sugar, and more sugar. "Do you mind if I reach around here?" She asked digging into her filing cabinet.

Spinelli adjusted his chair allowing her room to pass behind him while she looked for an example food diary and menu plan for Spinelli to follow.

"What's that?" Caitlyn asked noticing a pop-up on Spinelli's computer.

"Um… nothing. I have to go." Spinelli replied quickly shutting the laptop and rushing towards the door.

"Wait…" She instructed. "Who is Franklin Mendes and why are you running a trace on the guy?"

"The Spritely One needs to overlook that she saw."

"It's the guy that Dante is hunting down, isn't it?" Caitlyn replied instead.

"The Jackal is unable to provide an answer to that. Please, disregard what you witnessed, I beseech you." He appealed before darting off.


	126. Chapter 126

"Are you going to tell me how the crime hating, cop admiring, alter boy turned into a hired hand of the Corinthos-Morgan/Zacchara organization?" Brook pressed finally having some time alone with Dante as they had their morning coffee and pastries at Kelly's.

"I told you already." He dismissed it.

"No. What I got was that you, unknowingly, were assigned to take down your father. Came into evidence to put him away but because you got too close to his kids you refused to turn it in, were ousted by your superiors and ended up taking a job instead."

"That's exactly what happened." Dante replied. "I didn't have a place in the department anymore. What was I supposed to do?"

"Maybe the NYPD didn't want you anymore, but I'm sure the PCPD…"

"Would take the guy that refused to take down Sonny Corinthos? Public enemy number one? I don't think so."

"Instead you abandon your own moral code? This isn't like you, Dante." She responded disappointed in the path he decided to take. In Benson Hurst it seemed like there were two ways a young boy could go, and the path Dante started was the right one. "How many people have you killed?"

"What?" He questioned her. "As a cop or a criminal? In both cases it's a question of kill or be killed. How is that any different than that of a soldier?"

"Oh my God, what is in the water around here? Sonny kills people when they get in the way of his illegal operations, or when they are of no use to him. Competing organizations come into town to take what's his and innocent people get caught in the crossfire. You know this! I know that because I have heard you say the same thing to the little boys in Benson Hurst who idolized the mobster that got himself off the streets and made a name for himself."

"I know." He replied solemnly.

"You know, that's great. Now what are you going to do about it?"

"There's nothing I can do about…"

"That's bull."

"You always did have your mother's mouth." He smirked attempting to charm his way out of the conversation.

"There are worse traits to inherit. My mom calls it like she see's it, that's all I'm doing. What about your girlfriend, what does she say about it?"

"As long as I can live in my own skin…."

"Can you?"

"I have to take this." He said looking down on his vibrating phone. Spinelli was on the other line, and he was sure that he was about to find out the answer to that very question.

***********

"Carly, are you here?" Caitlyn asked knocking on the door of her residence.

"What's going on?" Carly asked inviting the distraught girl in. She had a break in her morning and found herself driving down Harborview Drive.

"I thought I could handle it. How… how do you do it? How do you not worry when someone you love is out there? How do you sit back and do nothing when you know, and…" She started rambling incoherently.

"Well first, you need to calm down and tell me what's going on." Carly instructed.

"Are we alone?" Caitlyn asked after taking a few breaths.

"The boys are out. Jason was putting Britni to sleep. He should be distracted for awhile."

"I know you have experience being married to Sonny which is why I came to you. I was at work and Spinelli had his computer there. He had a trace going on a guy, and the location popped up. When I asked him if was the guy that Dante was tracking down he got nervous."

"You think it's the informant responsible for getting you shot?"

"Yeah, and I know where he is. So, how do I let Dante go into a dangerous situation for me and say nothing? I'm supposed to be supportive, right?"

"If you're trying to be the perfect mob moll, then yes, you're supposed to go about your business, keep your mouth shut, and pray everything works out." Carly answered. "I was never good at that part."

"What did you do?"

"It depends. Mostly I did what I was told to prevent further complications, but there were the times when I snuck out to attempt my own investigation."

"How did that work out for you?" Caitlyn questioned.

"We're all still here, right? Caitlyn, you wouldn't be here if your instincts weren't screaming at you. Listen to them."

"I don't think he's ready to take that step, and if he messes up…"

"Where is he headed?" Jason asked standing on the top of the stair case.

"No, Jason, this isn't your battle anymore." Caitlyn argued.

"Dante is Michael and Morgan's brother. If anything happens to him it will destroy them, especially Morgan." Jason replied.

"You don't think I'm overreacting?"

Jason shook his head no. Being in the position he had been in he learned the importance of listening to his own instincts; it was only when he didn't when mistakes happened and people got hurt.

"North on route 86, off of exit 179 there's a cabin that this Frank Mendes has been staying in."

Jason quickly ran to the bedroom to arm himself before taking off.

************

"I have no idea how you can live here cuz." Sam said to Nikolas as they sat in the parlor of Wyndemere. Her, Lucky, Lulu, Luke, Alexis, and Nikolas came together to figure out what they could about the timeline of Valentin Cassadine.

Nikolas sighed having heard that same concern numerous times before.

"Wouldn't this be a whole lot easier if we had Spinelli's computer here?" Lulu complained for about the fifteenth time.

"I told you, Spinelli had an important meeting he had to go to this morning, and will get here as soon as he can." Sam repeated.

"Besides right now we are working on recollections so that idiot box does us no use." Luke interjected. "Natasha, I know you know something."

"I was away in prep school for most of my childhood, but there was an incident where the castle in Greece got broken into and Stavros was attacked with a knife or dagger or something. I think Stefan described it to me as an athame. Stefan heard the screaming and entered the room, but the window was open and it had to have been like a seven story jump into the ravine. Helena swore that it was Valentin back to swear vengeance, but Mikkos didn't believe her. He thought it was just some common criminal looking to take what they could from the estate."

"When was that?" Lucky asked as he wrote down what they had so far.

"I had to have been like fourteen. Fall semester had just started up, so September." She recalled.

"That was just a couple months after the article came out and Adriana's body had been dug up." Lucky commented.

"So the looming question is whether that incident was a break in or a break out?" Luke suggested.

"Do you honestly believe that this boy lived in the Cassadine estate for over a decade of his life without anyone knowing about it?" Nikolas questioned.

"Where else was he?" Lucky argued. "There is no history of a Valentin Cassadine anywhere."

"Maybe because that's just the name that Helena gave him." Lulu suggested. "Think about it. Helena finds out that another of Mikkos' mistresses turns up pregnant. She kidnaps Adriana and brings her somewhere long enough to have the baby, but escapes with him. She hides him, but soon after Helena finds her and kills her. He grows up without knowing where his mom is until the article comes out and goes after someone she cares about."

"Nice job, princess!" Luke praised her with a kiss to the forehead. Thus far it was the only scenario to make any sense.

"We need to find out his other alias." Sam surmised.

"What about after that? What happened between 1976 and 1980 when he supposedly died?" Nikolas inquired.

"I don't know, but your grandmother had something to do with it." Luke replied.


	127. Chapter 127

"Where did you race off to?" Olivia questioned Caitlyn after she returned for her afternoon shift.

"Huge craving for the tortellini down at Second Street." She lied.

"Craving? Don't tell me you're…?"

"No!!" Caitlyn replied adamantly. "Nothing like that."

"Good, as much as I'd like to be a grandma some day, I'm not really ready yet." Olivia responded. "Are you sure everything is all right, though? You look a bit flushed."

"I just lost track of time, and had to hurry back before the aqua-spin class started. I promise everything is fine."

"I don't want to keep you, but let me know if you need anything. I'm sure we have people here that can take a lunch order for you."

"Thanks. I'll remember that." Caitlyn replied before heading back to the spa to change into her bathing suit. She was pacified knowing that Jason was going to help, and she didn't want Dante's mother worrying if she didn't have to. When she arrived at the pool her class was ready and waiting, with a warm greeting for her return.

***********

"I heard my cyber services could be of use." Spinelli walked into the parlor after Alfred announced his presence.

"It's about time. Where have you been?" Lulu greeted him.

"There was another case that required the Jackal's undivided attention." He answered.

"More pressing then this one?" Alexis questioned.

"One that required immediate response and baring any unforeseen misfortune shall be dealt with swiftly opening up the Jackal's services solely to the task in hand."

Alexis shook her head knowing that whatever he was referring to was not good. "Let Sonny know that he needs to do a good job of keeping this clean, because I do not have time for another trial right now."

"And this is why the PCPD can't seem to put away any of the criminals in this town." Lucky replied cynically.

Sam pulled Lucky back to the table and suggested they get back to the Valentin mystery. Lulu caught up Spinelli on their progress and leading theory.

"Should the Jackal center the exploration towards the identity of the Cassadine heir or the fiancé of the maternal one?" Spinelli questioned.

"Ultimately the objective is to get as much information as we can about Valentin." Nikolas responded.

"But we need to start with what we have. I'd suggest looking for Adriana's wedding announcement." Lucky added.

"Maybe I can help." Robert walked in without warning. Matt followed and sat next to Lulu who reached over to kiss him.

"We'll take whatever you have, please, take a seat." Luke offered.

"Ralph." Robert responded.

Everyone looked to him inquisitively.

"That's what I have, Ralph."

Spinelli typed in 'Adriana Katsaros AND Ralph' into his computer to see what kind of response it came up with.

"Handsome chap." Robert commented when a picture came up for the search.

"Is there anything else you would care to tell us about Deputy Ralph Theseus Scorpio?" Alexis questioned once the announcement popped up.

"Apparently he was engaged to Valentin's mother." Robert responded knowing about as much as they did. "I remember my father mentioning his name in a conversation when I was a small child, that's it."

"Is there an obituary?" Sam asked. Based off of the article they knew that he had died shortly after Adriana went missing. With a name they had a better chance of finding out more about the circumstances of his death.

"Survived by his brother and two young nephews?" Nikolas looked to Robert. "Robert and Malcolm Scorpio."

"And the plot thickens." Matt shook his head.

Spinelli read off more information about Ralph moving to Greece to work as a deputy chief of police in the military police force where he met his fiancé, a Grecian heiress, who had turned up missing.

"Do you think Helena knows whether Valentin is a Cassadine or Scorpio?" Lulu asked.

"I think it's time we try to track down grandmother." Nikolas replied realizing the complexity to the back story and wondering how much of this she had planned for them to figure out.

************

Dante rode the highway attempting to get the conversation with BrookLynn out of his head. It had been a long time since high school, and that wide-eyed, overconfident, moralistic boy changed. Not everything was as clean cut as he originally believed it to be; sometimes people did do the wrong thing for the right reason.

A mile away from the exit to the cabin Dante located Mendes' truck tucked away in the woods. He parked his own car nearby to not alert Mendes with the sound of the engine pulling up to the cabin and followed a trail that Frankie must have used several times due to the compression of the snow. Once the cabin was spotted Dante pulled out his gun and unlocked the safety; he peered in through the window. Frankie sat at a table with a heated can of chef Boyardee with the radio playing in the background.

After working up his own courage Dante took a shot at the lock to the cabin causing the door to swing open. Frankie stood from his seat; his chair falling back behind him as he grabbed for the weapon tucked into the back of his jeans. Dante held out his gun pointed at Frankie, his index finger secured on the trigger.

"I have to hand it to you Porelli, oh wait, detective Falconeri right?" Frankie responded to the threat. "You have some guts; your typical sharpshooter would have taken me out through the peephole."

"If you knew I was coming why stay here?" Dante asked him.

"Nowhere to go." He replied. "Before you kill me, can I ask you one question?"

Dante nodded to the request.

"When I wanted to jump ship why did you stop me? Was I just a pawn in your undercover investigation?"

He didn't feel the need to point out the second question. "I liked you; I respected you. I didn't want you to take the fall when I brought down the Corinthos organization."

"Instead you're just going to shoot me. How the mighty do fall? Zacchara gave me the option of either you or me; she was never supposed to be there, it wasn't supposed to go down like that." He explained calmly.

"Is this your way of begging for your life?"

"No, no begging. We both know how this business works. Welcome to your initiation." Frankie replied throwing his gun out in front of him and raised his hands above his head.

Dante stood before the guy with the gun drawn and pressing on the trigger as the words 'welcome to your initiation' resonated in his mind. Moments later a loud bang shot out. Dante looked behind him to find Jason Morgan standing in the doorway with his own firearm drawn.

***********

Zander picked Liz up from her shift at the hospital to bring her out shopping for ski supplies.

"I have to warn you. I think the last time I went skiing Em and I were in high school." Liz admitted once returning to her vehicle with their arms full.

"It's like riding a bike." Zander assured her. "And we'll make sure to maintain a level that you're comfortable with."

"We? You're not going to ditch me on the slopes and go straight to the black diamonds?"

He shook his head no and wrapped his arms around her. "That would defeat the purpose of inviting you out there, don't you think?"

"Kind of." She held onto him. "Although I thought that was more about the evening festivities. If you haven't seen it, this is a really big lodge with a nice sized master bedroom."

"Oh, I've seen it." Zander replied. "It's not far from the resort which I suspect may keep the interest of the youngsters."

"What happened to your promise to Carly that you would watch over them?"

"They will be guarded 24/7. I don't think Carly, of all people, would mind us sneaking away for a few hours."

"Well, if we're using the 'what would Carly do' mantra there's a lot of guaranteed latitude." Liz quipped.

"Hey now, be nice." Zander warned.

Liz shot a look of disgruntlement and turned around to face him. "If I can't say something nice…"

"Do this instead." He finished and pulled her into a kiss.

************

"Thank you for letting me stay here while we're waiting." Caitlyn said to Carly in the kitchen. She had gotten a call after work with the proposition.

"I thought you could use the distraction. Cheesy puffs?" Carly held out the bowl in offering.

"No thanks." Caitlyn shied away from the preservative packed snack.

"Oh, that's right. I have some carrot sticks here somewhere. Morgan loves them." She shook her head at the thought. He was obviously his father's son in that regard.

"I'm not hungry." Caitlyn responded graciously.

"Ah, a starver." Carly smirked. She explained more to Caitlyn's expression of confusion. "Stress response."

"Oh, well, typically it's a thirteen mile run at the local park, but I can't get past mile marker seven without the back screaming out at me."

"I'd be huffing and buffing after the first five minutes."

"Do I want to know what we're walking in on?" Jason asked coming into the conversation with Dante not far behind. Caitlyn just about ran through Jason to get to him.

"Are you okay?" Caitlyn asked examining his person.

"I'm fine, and you do know…" He started.

"I know nothing." She replied in his grasp.

"Will you two be staying for dinner? Morgan would love it." Carly threw in knowing it would make it impossible for them to say no.

"Where is the slugger?" Dante questioned.

"In his room, playing video games." Carly rolled her eyes.

"Oh, look out now." Caitlyn teased releasing her grip allowing Dante to head upstairs. Once he was out of earshot she confirmed his state with Jason.

"It's taken care of." He stated.


	128. Chapter 128

Claudia laid awake. It was sometime between the warden's calling lights out at ten pm and being woken by the seven am role call. The prison itself reminded her of something out of the movie Shawshank Redemption only it gave room for a privacy wall covering the toilet fixture in the cells down women's row, which was so eloquently nicknamed the 'chicken coop'. She had been lucky enough to not be given a roommate yet. During the days she kept to herself, shying away from social interaction. Going into the system she wasn't sure what her reputation as Anthony Zacchara's daughter would do to her standing; it appeared that there was enough fear that the other women left her alone. In order to keep that she knew that she needed conceal all weakness which was her reason for not requesting the services of a doctor as soon as the flu-like symptoms intensified.

'Get a grip, you're stronger than this.' Claudia told herself attempting to breath herself through the nausea. Less then thirty seconds later an insatiable urge took over and Claudia ran to bend over the porcelain stool retching seemingly endlessly. Once she felt herself empty Claudia rested her sweat soaked head against the stone wall behind her long enough for the queasiness to resurface. What felt like hours later a shaky Claudia returned to her mattress to close her eyes shortly before the rising sun.

************

"Would you like to talk about it?" Caitlyn asked Dante whose tossing and turning kept her up all night.

"There's nothing to talk about." Dante insisted.

"Anything you say to me stays between us." She replied back brushing her fingers through his hair. "I know yesterday wasn't easy for you."

"I'm fine."

"Dante, it's never easy taking another life…" She sympathized.

"How would you know?" Dante fired back at her. "Have you done it? Have you even held a firearm before?"

"Once." She admitted to the last part. "But you're right. I've never pulled the trigger; I've never taken another life, and considering I can never muster up the nerve to let you console me there's no reason for you to open up to me about this. Let me know you need anything."

Caitlyn got up from the bed for a morning run. Dante watched her change; he wanted to say something and stop her from leaving but he didn't know how to express what he was feeling.

"Are you going to be back later?" Dante finally asked before she closed the door behind her.

"I don't know." She replied. "Zander is leaving tonight for a week, so I might hang out over at Liz' this afternoon."

Caitlyn was already out the front door when the voice inside of him called out to stop her. She took off running right away. The feel of the wind in her face left a soothing sensation like she was flying 100 miles per hour. Nothing could stop her; she had that capability of blocking the world out around her. Unfortunately it wasn't long before reality hit and her body was fighting back.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Johnny asked approaching in the park taking her by the arm as she appeared to be collapsing forward.

"Fine." She replied pushing him away from her while panting.

"Would you like to sit down?" He asked pointing out the park benches.

Caitlyn shook her head no. "Can't… need to slow my heart beat down." She replied walking down the trail, but favoring her back.

"Okay, but I'm going to go with you." He responded following behind. "Have you made the appointment?"

"If this is the conversation we're having I'm leaving now." Caitlyn stated.

"Caity." He stopped her from her walk. "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"I don't buy that for one moment." Johnny responded. "Did you get in a fight with Dante?"

"No… yes… maybe." She replied.

"He loves you." Johnny persisted.

"And I love him. When it's good, it's great, but…" Caitlyn tried explaining. "The defenses are still up, and sometimes it feels like we're just bashing against this wall."

"It takes time." He said as she let him hang on to her; his arms wrapped around clasping his hands behind her back. She rested her head on his shoulder letting her exhaustion take over. "Would you be okay with going back to the garage with me?" He whispered to her.

"Okay." She submitted.

After listening to his voice call out to him Dante got up to try to find her. He stopped long enough to see Caitlyn get into the car with Johnny Zacchara then peeled off not knowing where he would end up.

***********

"Are you cooking?" Morgan asked his mother. Carly was standing over the stove watching the bacon sizzle.

"No, I am supervising." Carly replied. "Your brother is making us pancakes."

"We're celebrating Michaels' birthday and he's the one cooking?" Morgan questioned.

"Would you rather it was your mother?" Jason asked coming into the room with Britni in his arms.

"Point taken." Morgan stood watching the bacon, flipping over a couple of pieces. "Mom, I got this."

"At least this little one will let me cook for her." Carly took the bottle from the microwave before Jason set her into her mother's arms. "I can't believe that one is going to be away on his eighteenth birthday."

"You made the arrangements." Michael pointed out.

"Only because there's not another week this winter that you're not at school." Carly replied.

"Thank you again for letting me go through with this." Michael kissed her on the forehead.

"You have to promise me to come back in one piece, and call me on your birthday."

"I promise!" He replied knowing that if he didn't he would never hear the end of it.

"Oh, before I forget Jason and I got you something for the trip." She responded. His attention was turned to the skillet as Jason reached for the gift. Michael couldn't imagine anything else fitting in the SUV. They had it planned that Zander, Liz, Michael, and Alyssa would take Michael's new SUV while Kevin and Trish rode in the back of the limo with Milo driving. Unfortunately with changes in holiday plans they were the only ones going.

"What is this?" Michael asked putting a stack and pancakes on the breakfast table.

"You sound like mom." Morgan teased. "Open it."

"Wow, this is awesome." Michael said unwrapping the GPS. That was the one feature he was hoping the vehicle would have that was not included.

"After breakfast would you like help with the installation?" Jason offered.

"Absolutely." Michael smiled. "Thank you both!"

Carly wanted nothing more than to shower Michael with gifts that she couldn't get him the year before due to the coma, but it was Jason that convinced her that after Christmas the one was enough.

"Don't forget mine." Morgan told him handing him another present.

"Huh." Michael responded to the garment box in his hand which opened up to reveal some long john underwear and a pair of wool socks. "Very practical."

"I picked it out myself." Morgan gloated.

"Thank you, I mean it."

It wasn't long before breakfast was complete. Morgan set out the silverware; Jason and Michael brought over food and drink as they enjoyed each others' company.

***********

Liz snuggled closely to a shirtless Zander with no reason or ambition to get up from under the covers of her warm and comfortable queen-sized bed. His arm draped across her back while she used his chest as a cushion.

"Can we just stay this way all day?" Liz asked looking up at him.

"I don't see why not." He grinned. Besides their trip east that evening there was nothing planned for the day.

"It's been too long since it's felt this right." Liz admitted tightening her grip around his waist.

"Huh?" Zander questioned.

"Lucky and I kept trying to recreate the magic of when we were teenagers. He's a great father, and my best friend, but since the fire something changed between us."

"I know what you mean." He sympathized. "It was that way with Em after she came back. I thought I had finally been given that second chance that I begged for after the train accident. I remember one time taking her out on the Quartermaine estate for a picnic by the boat house; we got those moments where it felt like it used to."

"Lucky and I tried living off of those moments. At Nik and Em's wedding he brought me out to the courtyard and we danced. We were seventeen all over again sneaking onto the Cassadine estate, peering in to see the beautiful gowns, and pretending that we were in attendance at the Bacchaelian." She reminisced. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

Zander shook his head no, and brought her hand to his lips to give a gentle peck. "Emily told me about that ball, and about the crush she had on Nikolas; how she attempted to catch his attention all night. She died at a similar event, right?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "That night was supposed to be one of the happiest of her life."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that; I know you lost your best friend."

"I think she'd be thrilled." Elizabeth responded instead. "That you're back, and we've reconnected; that Cam has his father."

"I believe that as well."

A pause in their conversation was interrupted by her cell phone going off.

"Please tell me that isn't the hospital." Liz shook her head. "Hello?"

"Hi mommy, it's me Cam!"

"I'd recognize that voice anywhere. How are you doing?"

"I'm great. Granny and Grams brought us to see the Eiffel Tower today." Cam explained.

"Oh wow, what did you think?"

"It looked like a really big jungle gym. Spencer and Jake tried to climb on it but granny said no, it was too dangerous, but we got some pictures."

"I can't wait to see them."

"I wish you were here. Jake had a bad dream last night and kept screaming out for you." The six-year-old explained.

"I miss you boys, too, and tell your grams that if that happens again to call me on my cell anytime of the day." Liz replied. "Hey Cam, guess who's with me right now?"

"Who?" Cam asked and Liz passed the phone over briefly.

"Hi buddy." Zander greeted him.

"Daddy!" The boy's voice lit up in joy. "Are you taking care of mommy?"

"Mommy can take care of herself, but I am keeping her company so she does miss you boys as much."

"That's good." Cameron replied. "She should be happy."

"Do you know what would help?" Zander offered his son.

"What?"

"If you did a good job as a big brother and cousin watching over Jake and Spencer and reminding them everyday how much their parents love them."

"I can do that." Cam assured him before Zander handed the phone back to Liz who got more of an update from Laura and briefly said hello to Jake.


	129. Chapter 129

"Mrs. Corinthos, you have a visitor." The warden approached her cell following breakfast. The nausea had passed upon waking, and although her energy was down she was able to get some nourishment.

"Who is it?" Claudia asked him.

"Your husband."

"Oh God." She replied and grabbed a comb to run through her hair and then applied a bit of lipstick and bronzer to bring some color into her sullen expression. "Okay, I'm ready."

She waited for the door to be unlocked with her hands out to place the shackles before being led down the hall.

"We're not going there?" Claudia questioned when they walked passed the normal visiting station.

"He arranged a private room." He guard replied before opening the door to where Sonny was seated. The guard warned them to avoid physical contact before allowing them personal time from outside the room.

"How are you doing?" Sonny asked her resisting the urge to gently swipe away a stray section of hair from her face. He smiled gently exposing the heartwarming dimples he was famous for and all troubles halted.

"Better now." She responded. "How was your Christmas?"

"It was alright. I appreciate the time I can get with the kids."

"You were able to see them all?" Claudia asked impressed.

"Yeah, Michael, Morgan, Kristina, Molly was there, and Dante." Sonny replied. "I also went to visit Gianna for a bit, and let her know that her mother and father were thinking about her."

A single tear escaped from her eye as she grabbed on to hold her husbands hand.

"But…" Sonny replied in resistance.

"I don't care. What are they going to do? Lock me up."

"This isn't fair." Sonny announced trying to hold in what he was feeling to be strong for her.

"Tell that to your best friend and ex-wife." Claudia responded. "I was responsible for a child getting shot, and after getting pregnant I understand the urge to protect a child and the devastation that comes with losing one."

"Michael is fine."

"She didn't know that. For over a year she had to sit by his bedside and watch while he clung onto life. I can't imagine that; I'd never want to…"

"It looks like the next risk is coming from a different end." Sonny interrupted.

"What do you mean? Is daddy dearest stirring up trouble again?"

"No; Helena Cassadine, well maybe, or some other Cassadine spawn, and people think I'm King of the illegitimate children. Kristina and Molly left yesterday to go to LA with Ric. He says he's still looking into your case and finding any legal grounds for an appeal."

"He's been wonderful." She replied surprised.

"I know; I want to blame him for the way this turned out, but short of paying off the judge and jury…"

"There was nothing else he could do." Claudia finished for him. "Did John get the present I got for him?"

Sonny smiled and nodded. "He loved it."

"Any chance that he and Falcowhori are on their outs?" She asked hoping for some good news.

"Claudia." He replied sternly, but caved to her vulnerable pout. "I don't know."

"What? You mean there's legitimate hope?"

"I can only tell you what I walked in on, but from my vantage point John and Caitlyn are getting close, too close."

"Dante's girlfriend Caitlyn? The one shot at John's garage?"

"That's the one." Sonny verified.

"What's she like? Is she good enough for John? Is anyone really good enough to John?" She pondered the last part to herself. "Although she was shot and didn't run off or go crazy, that's a plus. Yet, I'm not sure if I like the idea that she's playing both of them."

"Whoa… hang on a moment. As far as I know there is nothing actually going on. Caitlyn is with Dante, and Johnny with Olivia and everyone is happy. Well…"

"Yeah, I know." Everyone was happy Caitlyn, Dante, Olivia, Johnny, Carly, Jason, even Alexis and Jax seemed to be thrilled; everyone but her and Sonny.

"I'm sorry, but time is up." The warden came and announced to Claudia.

"I love you." Sonny mouthed to her on her way out.

"I love you, too." She replied before exiting. On her way back to her cell Claudia felt her ears pop as the walls started closing in on her.

"Mrs. Corinthos, are you okay?" The guard asked as she propped herself against the wall.

"Fine; didn't sleep well." She explained.

"Are you sure? I can have a nurse check you out."

She shook her head no hoping that no one say her as they passed by. "I'm just going to lie down in my cell."

************

"Heat or ice?" Johnny asked Caitlyn as soon as the settled in the garage apartment.

"Heat." She replied back heeding his advice and stretching out on the couch. Johnny threw a pad in the microwave and grabbed a couple bottles from the fridge.

"Want one?" He offered her before removing the caps.

Coming back from the kitchen he brought the heat pad and malt beverage. Caitlyn sat forward enough for him to sit down and place the pad at the base of her back before resting on the pillow he placed on his lap.

"Better?" He asked hanging her the beverage.

"Much, thank you."

"Care to tell me what the non-fight was about?"

"It was nothing. Neither one of us got a lot of sleep last night because he was thrashing around. When I asked him about it this morning he shut down. Which, when you think about, I have no business get angry about, but after finding out about Olivia's lie and Sonny's paternity he opened up to me; I was helping him. At least I thought so."

"You were; you did help him. When you were shot he freaked. The idea of you in the line of fire because of him shook him the core of his being."

"That's what I was afraid of." She admitted to him.

"What? That he cares about you?"

"No; that my getting shot turned him into the person he never wanted to be." Caitlyn expressed. "I'm only telling you this because you work with Dante. Franklin Mendes was taken out yesterday."

"You shouldn't have been involved in that." Johnny snapped.

"Be that the case; I did find out, which put me in the perfect position for him to talk to."

"He will; when he's ready."

"I remember telling Olivia that. Apparently I need to learn the art of practice what you preach."

"I think patience goes against human nature." Johnny sympathized. "But I think I might know something you could do to help."

"And that is?"

"Open up to him just a little. Stop running away, literally."

"I have opened up." She insisted.

"Really?" He looked at her questionably.

"I've told him about my past, and my mom." She replied. "About my fear of losing control."

"You've told him about your history and gave him an explanation of why you don't open up, but have you actually leaned on him for support? Have you demonstrated any vulnerability? You helped Dante through one of the most trying periods of his life, but then you were shot and reunited with a brother you believed to be dead, and you brush it off as if it's nothing."

"It's not nothing; I was thrilled."

"That you were shot?" Johnny questioned.

"No, that my brother is alive. The getting shot happened so fast I barely had time to react."

"It doesn't scare you that you could have died because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"But I didn't."

"Not this time, but knowing Dante, knowing me, puts you in danger every single day of your life." Johnny replied.

"And you want me to what? Fall apart? Admit myself to Shadybrook?"

"Talk about it. So you don't find yourself needing a stay at Shadybrook." He argued.

"I'm very familiar with the idea of catharsis, but I'm not the one tossing and turning at night."

"Just think about it, okay? If you want him to open up and share all of his qualms and insecurities then open up yours."

"Who says I'm not emotionally vacant?" She asked him.

"I do, Caity, I don't need you to tell me to know what's there."

"Aren't you the little empath?" She kidded.

"What's the psychological term for using sarcasm as an emotional shroud?"

"I believe the term you are looking for is defense mechanism; sarcasm would fall under humor as a form of displacement. Which, by the way, is a coping strategy found in healthy adults."

"Well then, no, that's not it at all." He teased looking down at her cute little scowl, and in a momentary lapse of judgment he bent over. Her palm graced his cheek as he got closer. They were millimeters apart when his door swung open.

***********

Dante drove around Port Charles for awhile before finally pulling up at the Quartermaine estate. Dillon was outside with a camera.

"What are you doing?" Dante asked him

"Scenery shots." He explained. "I asked Monica if it was okay to take some for an upcoming film."

"Which genre?"

"Mystery and suspense. Am I to assume you're here to see BrookLynn?"

"Yeah, sorry. I've heard so much about you I forgot we haven't met." Dante said extended his hand out to introduce himself.

"So you're the Dante Falconeri that broke my niece's heart as a teenager?"

"I was a stupid teen myself." He explained.

"Is that your excuse?" BrookLynn asked standing behind them.

"I didn't say it was a good one, but yes, my ego got in the way of seeing a good thing when it was standing in front of me."

"Your ego?" Brook questioned.

"I couldn't date a freshman it wouldn't have been cool. Now I'm getting this reverse sk8er boi vibe." He smirked.

"Awe, poor baby. Don't worry you and Caitlyn can have back stage passes anytime you'd like."

"You may need to add one more to that guest list just in case."

"Zacchara?" She assumed. "Is that what you are doing here?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go down to the pool hall for a while, and then over to Carly's for Michael's birthday."

"Yeah, sure, would you?" BrookLynn extended the offer to Dillon.

"I'll meet you over at Carly's."

"Are you sure, you're welcome to come." Dante added.

"Nah, I have a few more shots to take; you kids have fun."

"Let dad know where I'm going." Brook requested. Dante walked her over to his car opening the passenger's side door for her. Brook let Dante drive to the pool hall without bringing up the current situation with the girlfriend, but she could tell that it was weighing on him. He again demonstrated his chivalry by opening her door for her before entering. The hall itself is was quiet; only a few people in attendance.

"What can I get you?" A boy asked behind the bar.

"I don't suppose you offer beer?" Dante asked.

"You'd have to go down the street for that." The boy pointed the neon Jake's sign which was turned off for the Sabbath. "I can get you some root beer."

"Two." Dante ordered.

"If you want to pull up a table we'll bring out some chips and salsa." The waiter responded after handing over the bottles.

"Thank you." Brook replied and then pointing a seat with a neighboring pool table. "Do you want to break or should I?"

"Go for it." He insisted.

"Care to make it doubles?" They both heard from behind them. Lulu and Matt had just walked through the door with the idea as they did.

"Pull up a seat." Dante invited them over.

"How are you doing?" Brook asked Lulu; it was the first time they had spoken since Jax came with them with the information that the Cassadine's were on the prowl again.

"Okay, I guess. You know that creepy feeling when you sense that someone is following you? It is probably just my imagination, but I can't leave the house without it."

"I keep telling her it's the guards that her brothers have ordered for her." Matt added.

"He's probably right." BrookLynn added.

"I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind putting extra security on Luke Spencer's daughter." Dante attempted to help.

"No; that's okay. What are we playing?"

"Eight ball?" Dante suggested. Brook took the first shot landing the four and six into respective corner pockets.


	130. Chapter 130

The sound of the swinging door startled Johnny and Caitlyn apart. Olivia stood in the doorway looking at them questionably.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked Caitlyn spying the heat pad on the couch.

"Oh yeah, I just pushed myself faster than I should have this morning." Caitlyn explained. "But it's doing a lot better and I should go over to Liz' before they take off."

"I don't mean to scare you off. I stopped by to see if Johnny wanted to go to Michaels' birthday party."

"Sure. Were you staying?" He asked scooting over to invite her onto the couch.

"I'd love to, but I have some work to do. Jax put in a rush for an ad to increase security at the MetroCourt."

"This Cassadine thing is stressing out a lot of people." Caitlyn observed.

"Be careful; you've already been caught in the crossfire once the last thing anyone wants is to see you get hurt again." Olivia warned. "Are you coming tonight?"

"Probably; I think Zander's plan was to go over there once they finished packing the supplies."

"Well, if I don't see you tonight, I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Absolutely." Caitlyn replied and watched Olivia close the door behind her. "I should… go."

"Right." Johnny replied still struck by surprise and guilt over what would have happened. Moments of awkwardness between the two passed before Caitlyn left; shutting the door leaving Johnny alone to mull over his own aspiration. He thought back to his relationship with Lulu; he loved her so much, but there was that secret between them that he was keeping. He knew she would never forgive him so he sabotaged his own relationship. He made out with Maxie because he didn't feel worthy of Lulu's love. This was different. He cared about Olivia; he loved Olivia and wanted to make her happy. There were no secrets, no deception between them, and no reason to stray.

*************

"Mom, I'm turning eighteen. Parties no longer consist of the M&M game and pin the tail on the… what is that?" Michael questioned Carly.

"It's a skier, the person that gets the pole closest to his right hand wins." She explained.

"This is worse than I thought; Jason, can you please tell her that above all I don't need a theme party."

"Sorry kid, I have no recollection of my eighteenth birthday party, and this is definitely one of those arguments where it's best for me to stay clear of."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Carly asked him.

"It means that he has learned the fine art of choosing his battles." Michael answered for him.

"You two make it sound like I'm unreasonable." Carly stated watching both stare at her. "Okay, here's me acting sensible; Michael what would you like to do?"

"Put out some snacks, turn some music on, and hang out in the game room."

"We're not all going to fit in the game room…. Oh." Carly got the message. She and Jax had transformed the basement into a game room complete with pool, ping pong, and air hockey table, dartboard, and basketball hoop. It was meant to entertain, but had yet to be used in that manner. "Okay, but the bedrooms are off limits."

"Scouts honor." Michael put up a couple fingers in attempts to replicate the gesture.

"Go get your stuff together and I'll put out the chips." Carly scooted Michael out of the living room.

Jason approached her with a hug and kiss. "That was awfully big of you."

"I know; it sucks growing up." She pouted.

"There are certain advantages." He replied pulling her in closer and grabbing onto her assets.

"Did I say something about the bedrooms being off limits?" She grinned.

"I don't remember anything like that." Jason shook his head while pulling her in that direction. They heard a knock on the door and Carly was torn on which direction to head for.

"It will just be a moment." She insisted. "Lucas, hi!"

"I know I'm early, but was wondering if there was anything I could do to help."

"Actually…" She gave the 'I'm up to something' look. "Could you dump some chips into bowls and scatter them around here and the game room, oh, and keep the baby monitor nearby? It'll be ten… fifteen minutes tops."

"Carly…?" He questioned as she rushed up the stairs. "Nice, okay." He reacted before heading to the kitchen.

***********

"I need advice." Caitlyn admitted sitting down on Elizabeth's couch.

"I'd be happy to offer whatever I can." Zander extended to his sister.

"Not from you." She hesitantly replied.

"Oh, girl talk I get it, I will step out, but you would tell me if Dante did anything to hurt you, right?"

"If Dante did anything to hurt me you'd be getting a call from the PCPD." Caitlyn assured him.

"Good to know." Zander walked off to back supplies into the car.

"What can I help you with?" Elizabeth asked her.

"Have you ever liked two guys at the same time?"

"You could say that." Liz replied thinking back to her relationship with Jason while married to Lucky. "There's another guy?"

"I didn't think so, not until I almost kissed him. I like Dante; no, I love Dante. I come alive when I'm around him; he knows how to make me laugh, and can drive me crazy with his arrogance. Just looking into his eyes sends shivers up my spine, and, my God, he smiles and my heart melts."

Liz smirked at the description. "So, what about this other guy? Does he make your heart melt?"

"Maybe, I don't know. There's something deeper then a glance or a smile. It's like we understand each other on a level nobody else ever has."

"And you tell yourself that you're just close friends with him?" Liz inquired.

"You've been there."

"Yeah, I've been there." Liz divulged.

"Why do I have a feeling that you're not referring to my brother?" Caitlyn inferred. "Lucky?"

"No; Lucky was my first love and my savior. There was a purity to that love that we attempted repeatedly to rekindle. Zander and I were just discussing that this morning."

"What happened with the other guy?"

"Our lives took us in different directions. There was danger that I couldn't put my children through, and I think in the long run we realized we were better off as friends."

"Like the danger they are in now? Oh God, I'm so sorry." Caitlyn responded as she saw Liz' reaction.

"No; there are more psychos around here then I would ever be comfortable with. Any sane person would pick up and leave town, but the constant danger of Jas… it was too much."

"I suppose priorities change when there are children involved." She decided to ignore the reference to Jason Morgan.

"They do; as far as the advice goes the only thing I can tell you is follow your heart and be honest with yourself. Trust me, don't lead them on; let them know where you stand and how you feel."

"Be honest, and follow my heart. Is that what you did?"

Liz laughed. "No. No, I watched my husband get addicted to pain killers, and put my blinders on until he was sleeping with another woman which gave me the excuse to climb 15 flights of stairs during a blackout to have a one-night stand."

"Oh."

"A lot of people got hurt, badly. I can't go back and changed what happened, but I can promise myself to be honest going forward. And I will extend that promise both to you and your brother."

"Where does Zander fit in your heart? Between Lucky who was this ideal and, well, you know, who was the fantasy, is Zander just the one that is… practical?"

"Just? No. God, how do I explain this? He captures the best in both situations; he's great with the boys and hopefully with the new job can bring some stability, but…"

"He still has that leather wearing, bad boy past that you find alluring?" Caitlyn interrupted.

"Don't we all?" Liz admitted.

Caitlyn raised her hand. "Guilty; does it get much worse? Dante Falconeri and Johnny Zacchara."

"Maybe I should take you on a tour of the hospital and see if there are any young doctors that might catch your interest?" Liz suggestively teased.

"Wasn't it a doctor that shot Michael?"

"Yes, but most live by the Hippocratic Oath here. I just don't want you to send your brother into a coronary. Before you get too deep I would suggest you ask yourself how much you want a family."

"Are you girls ready?" Zander asked breaking up the conversation. Both headed toward the vehicle; they had discussed Caitlyn driving it back to the house after the party so it didn't have to stay in Carly's lot for the week.

************

"Where is everyone?" Michael asked carrying his duffle bag down the steps.

"Your brother and sister are still over at the Brownstone and your mom and Jason are freshening up." Lucas replied while offering his assistance.

"Just…ewe!" Michael reacted to the information and how it was presented to him. He brought the bag out to the car which sat out after Jason finished installing the GPS. The snowboard was already inside. As he went to shut the back a squad car pulled up.

"What did Jason do this time?" Lucas questioned him.

"This visit is for me." Michael responded, and walked towards the passenger's side door and greeted Alyssa.

"If she comes back with one scrape, cut, or bruise and I'll be your ass that gets hauled downtown, Corinthos." Lieutenant Johnson warned him. "Yours and Smith's. Where is he? I'd like to talk to the guy."

"He's not here yet." Michael replied. "And I promise she will be well looked after."

"Not that well. You don't want to know what will happen if she comes back knocked up."

"Dad! Will you stop threatening my boyfriend?" Alyssa yelled at him. "Everything is going to be fine, now pop the trunk so I can get my stuff out."

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me young lady."

"Dad, you promised mom you wouldn't do this."

"I lied." He admitted. "But fine; I trust you to be careful and if you need anything at all I am one phone call away. Are you sure you don't want an unmarked car following you up there?"

"I didn't their jurisdiction extended to Vermont?" Lucas questioned.

"Don't we kind of need the coverage here?" Alyssa asked him and then reached in to the car to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, dad."

"Love you too sweetheart." He responded before driving off.

"You've met my uncle, right?" Michael opened the introduction once the Lieutenant's car was out of sight.

"Yeah, of course, Britni's Godfather."

"That would be me. I'll give you two a moment to yourself, and let your mother know the guests are arriving." Lucas said heading towards the front door, and then mumbled to himself. "The mobster's son and Lieutenant's daughter that's an epic in the making."


	131. Chapter 131

As soon as Kevin and Trish showed up the teens went down to the basement to play a game of two on two ping pong.

"Would you like me to play chaperone?" Lucas proffered his sister.

"If you can do so without making it too obvious." Carly replied.

"Perhaps the fair Maximista and I could assist in that regard." Spinelli volunteered.

"Speak for yourself; this outfit was not made for the intent of shooting hoops or knocking around a ping-pong ball."

"Good; then we'll stick to the dartboard." Lucas took her hand and led her downstairs with Spinelli not far behind.

"Are you sure you're okay with your son leaving town for the week?" Olivia questioned Carly.

"I don't know." She shook her head. "But he's eighteen. How did you do it when Dante told you he was going to police academy?"

"Well, luckily police academy was just down the street, but I have to admit I wasn't a bushel of sunshine the first time my son got an out-of-town undercover assignment. My brother's were looking into ways of having me committed. I think at this age it's the worse; when he was a kid it wasn't as bad sending him off to camp, but at eighteen…"

"They think they're invincible and the stakes of messing up are higher." Carly finished her thought. "This is my kid we're talking about, and he's been through so much already."

"Carly, count to ten." Jason injected.

"I have a better idea, here!" Sam said handing Carly a bottle of beer from the kitchen.

"You are staying in tonight, right?" Lucky cautioned.

"Yes. Mom is keeping the kids overnight. Apparently Robert Scorpio is on Cassadine alert over there." Carly responded less than thrilled with the last part.

"Now that is a wedding I'd pay to see." Lucky snickered.

"That's it, you're uninvited; you have to go." Carly pointed towards the door.

"Who are you kicking out now?" Lulu asked upon entering with Matt, Dante, and BrookLynn.

"Your brother."

"I'm not even going to ask what he did now." Lulu said coming over to give Lucky a hug. "Where's the birthday boy?"

"Downstairs; hiding away from us old fogies." Sam answered.

"Should we go down and see him?" Brook suggested.

"Sure; it'll give me and Lulu a shot at a rematch. You two totally cheated." Matt remarked.

"Whatever gets you to sleep at night." Dante quipped ready to take on the challenge.

"I'll let Caitlyn know where you are when she gets here." Olivia informed her son who looked back at her with a curious glance. "I spoke with her this afternoon she said she should be coming with Zander."

"Spoke to her where?" He questioned.

"What do you mean where? You didn't know she went over to Johnny's?"

"Why on earth would I be privy to that information? I just can't believe you're okay with it." Dante shot back.

"Dante, there is nothing going on." Olivia argued.

Dante snickered. "What have you told me about this river in Egypt?"

"I guess I'm not even going to ask what I walked into." Johnny commented coming into the room as all eyes focused in on him.

"Let's go downstairs." BrookLynn pulled on Dante's arm. Johnny cautiously stayed still as BrookLynn and Dante faded out a view.

"Before you start the public stoning can I go on record saying that nothing happened?"

"I know." Olivia responded and offered the seat next to her.

"Yeah, of course." Lulu replied sarcastically and signaled Matt to go to the game room with her.

"Ouch." Johnny mumbled feeling the sting of her reaction.

"Do you blame her? You did cheat on her with Maxie." Lucky commented.

"I wouldn't bring that up I were you." Elizabeth said walking into the room.

"Did Zander and Caitlyn come with you?" Carly questioned redirecting the turn the conversation was going.

"They are outside; I was suppose to ask for the key to the SUV."

"I got it." Jason volunteered hightailing it out of the room, remembering again why he disliked public forums with a lot of people.

"Chips, dip, anyone?" Carly offered.

"I'll take some." Sam smirked. "Got to hand it to you, Carly, you sure know how to throw a party."

"And I was worried about Sonny showing up." Carly rolled her eyes.

Tensions in the room eased as side conversations broke out and guests moved throughout the house. Carly and Jason found sanctuary in the kitchen discussing the latest news on the Cassadine front with Lucky, Sam, and Nikolas when he showed up. Ethan and Dillon arrived at about the same time and after stopping down to greet Michael started a game of cards in the living room with Johnny and Zander.

"He's mad at me, isn't he?" Caitlyn questioned Olivia.

"Only because he cares. I suggest that you go down there and show him that there's nothing to be worried about. There's nothing to worry about?"

"No. God, no. Of course not. No." Caitlyn adamantly denied. 'I can do this' she said to herself making her way down to the basement. She used the travel time over to think about what she wanted and she was certain she knew what that was.

Dante was setting up the shot when she entered; the distraction caused him to scratch allowing Matt to sink the 8 ball for the win.

"Can we talk?" Caitlyn requested. Most didn't notice the awkwardness between them. Lulu and Matt celebrated their win as a heated pin pong competition between Kevin and Michael captured most people's attention.

"Sure." Dante allowed following her to the stairwell.

"Before I say anything, I just…" She started as she pulled Dante into a kiss. He didn't even try to resist as she laid back into the steps; the fireworks going off over their heads. "That's what I thought. Dante, I'm sorry if I pressed too hard this morning, and I'm even sorrier for running off like I did. I'm just experiencing feelings that are unfamiliar territory to me and I'm bound to make mistakes, right?"

"Is that what getting in the car with Johnny Zacchara was?"

"You saw that?" Caitlyn inferred.

"I felt like an idiot for going off on you like I did, and so I went after you."

"I went to talk, I swear. I won't lie, it's easier to do with him. I… Hey, it's not like you didn't go to BrookLynn for the exact same thing."

"BrookLynn and I have known each other most of our lives there's a reason she understands me; you and Johnny have this kismet thing that I can't compete with." Dante argued.

"I'm not requiring you to."

"So if I ask are you going to be completely honest with me?"

"I'll do my best." She responded.

"There's no sexual chemistry between you two? No intimate desires?"

Caitlyn turned away for a brief moment to figure out how to answer that. The hesitation was enough for Dante to almost get up and walk away. "Don't! If you would have asked me before today I would have honestly said absolutely not. Nothing happened, nothing is going to happen I can promise you that."

"But something almost did?"

"A kiss, maybe, your mom came in and that was it."

"So that's why you kissed me; you wanted to make sure that what we felt for each other was real.."

"And it was, you can't deny that!"

"I won't, but where does that leave us? You've already said that mistakes are bound to happen. What happens the next time when nobody is there to break the moment?"

"You either trust me or you don't." Caitlyn replied back fiercely. She wasn't going to deny Dante the right to be angry with her, but she gave him the truth which was what he asked for. "You know that movie about PreCrime? It asks the moral dilemma of the ability to prosecute a transgression that has yet to take place. Up until an action transpires there's always that chance of an alternate outcome."

"Just do me a favor?" Dante responded. "Let me know if you change your mind about us before a transgression takes place."

"Only if you can promise me the same." She replied. He cradled her neck and brought her in for another kiss.

"Hey, um…" Dillon coughed to get their attention. "Carly wanted everyone to know that the pizza was here. There's plenty so people can get it while they want it but she wants to start presents and cake in an hour so people can leave for the trip."

"We'll deliver the message." Dante smiled.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to tell them they can bring the pizza and soda anywhere but if someone damages the pool table they are replacing it."

"No food on the pool table, got it." Caitlyn responded. As soon as Dillon was sure that all the messages were sent he went back upstairs to continue the game he was playing.

"Air hockey?" Dante suggested to her.

"Oh yeah." Caitlyn smirked.

As they returned to the room BrookLynn gave a curious glance. Once Dante smiled she knew all was well. They gave the announcement which sent half the room upstairs.

"Whoa Michael, you want to save any of that for your guests?" Carly teased as he piled the pizza on his plate.

"I think you have enough here for the whole U.S. Army." Michael retorted. "Besides adolescent boy; I press the button on the remote control and burn through calories never mind five games of ping pong."

"Who won?" Lucky asked him.

"I did." Both Michael and Kevin responded at the same time. Michael looked over to his friend. "You wish, that last one did not touch the table."

"It did too! Trish, you saw it touch the rim, right?"

"We're not getting in the middle of this." Alyssa replied as the girls walked off.

"Hey Carly." Olivia poked her head in. "Alexis and Jax just got here and they wanted to talk to you."

"Why do I have this sensation that I'm being sent to the principal's office?" Carly teased before leaving to the foyer. "I'm glad you made it; Michael's in the other room if you want to see him."

"I will. I came by to drop this off." Jax explained holding Michael's gift out.

"Did Lady Jane get home okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I, uh, we're going away for a couple days." Jax replied.

"So your officially a we now?" Carly gathered. "I mean that's fine, I have no reason to… where are you going? Not to pry, just if anything comes up with Brit…"

"I'm going to Manhattan for Crimson purposes, and with the Cassadine risk we thought it was better if Alexis came with."

"I suppose that trip is a long time coming." Carly responded; he had meant to take it over a month ago.

"I'm taking the paperwork with; it'll be ready to sign upon our return." Alexis added.

"And that'll be?"

"December 31st." Jax answered.

"Fitting time to close this chapter." Carly replied awkwardly. "Please, come inside; have some pizza, presents go over there."

"Hi Jax." Michael gave him a high five.

"Happy birthday!" Jax responded.

"Kristina was sorry she couldn't make it, but wanted you to have this." Alexis handed Michael a gift.

"What did they want?" Jason whispered to her as he encased his arms around Carly.

"We got the date to sign the paperwork. New Years Eve day."

"Which means we need celebrate New Years Eve eve." He replied kissing the top of her head.

"Oooh, rain check? I promised Morgan a party that evening."

"I'll figure something out." Jason smirked.

Carly turned around to face him. "Jason Morgan is that a plan you have brewing? I have it on very good authority that those never go well."

"No; no, see it's your plans and schemes that never go well."

"That's not true, plenty of my plans have gone off without a hitch; remember when we went to South America…"

"And were almost executed?" Jason interrupted.

"Okay, but I did get us into the Crylium lab."

"Where you were injected with the virus!"

"I got Karpov's PDA from him."

"And proceeded to get shot at. Do you want me to mention the time you attempted to lure out the text message killer?"

Just the thought of the chain across her throat suffocated her. "No, no need; going down to Venezuela to get the evidence required to get you acquitted."

Jason took a deep breath. "I would have gladly spent life in prison if it meant not having to put your safety in the hands of Jerry Jacks."

"But then I wouldn't have you and that would be disastrous." Carly reminded him.

"Yeah, we… we couldn't have that." Jason said pulling her closer.

"Mom, people are requesting I open presents now." Michael called from the living room.

"Then let the guests downstairs know." Carly called back from the kitchen pinned against the counter by Jason.

"Should we?" He asked nodding towards the family room.

She shook her head no and brought him in for a kiss.

"And you were worried about me finding an open room." Michael said peering in. "Lulu went downstairs to invite everyone up. Mom, when I'm away please don't make any more babies! I mean it, as much as I love Brit, she almost killed you."

"Can we help you with anything Michael?" Jason asked him.

"Did you want to bring the cake out?"

Carly hadn't realized how many people had shown up until they were gathered in the living room. Michael opened the gifts which mostly consisted of checks and gift cards, but there were other books, CD's, DVD's, and video games that had been on his wish list. The hardest part of the evening for her was watching her little boy climb into the vehicle and drive away.

"Did you want us to stay awhile?" Sam volunteered herself and Lucky as the rest of the guest had filtered out for the night.

"No, that's okay." Carly responded. "I wouldn't want to keep you from whatever it is you wanted to do tonight."

"Carly, if you need anything…" Lucky replied

"It was good, right? Do you think Michael had a good time?" She asked.

"Yeah, absolutely." Sam answered.

"Why do you ask?" Lucky questioned.

"I just have this ominous feeling that tonight needed to be special."

"Well, you accomplished that. Thank you for helping us clean up, but I can take it from here." Jason assured them.


	132. Chapter 132

Once again Claudia was awoken in the midst of the night by nausea. She had hoped that the night before was a result of a 24 hour bug and the evidence suggested so since as the day went on she started feeling stronger. Unfortunately again she found herself hunched over the toilet violently trembling as she feared what was wrong with her.

She rested her head back against the cool stone holding onto her stomach that did an amazingly quick job of returning to form after the miscarriage. It was as if the eight months she held on to her daughter was a figment of her imagination; a wonderful dream the turned boorishly wrong like so many other things in her life had. Claudia glanced down at her hand briefly before retching once more.

She stumbled back to her bed and rested her head back into the pillow gently massaging her abdomen hoping to calm it down. 'No way!' Claudia thought to herself. 'It's not possible, not enough time…'

"Hey." She whispered sitting up to examine her midsection with a smile. "Is there someone in there?"

In that instant she knew it was true; the thing that she had wanted since that moment in Italy when the grief briefly subsided for a glimmer of hope for the future. The other thing she knew to be true was that the child growing inside of her was male; it had to be, it was the only way to make her feel that miserable. "E giusto. Lei mi ha il bambino."

************

"What are you thinking about?" Jason asked rubbing Carly's back as she starred out to the wall in front of her hoping to give illusion she was sleeping.

"I'm thinking about what Michael said." She responded.

"About the baby?"

She nodded. "I always wanted to give you your child."

"Carly, we've already talked about this. I don't need _my_ child. Michael, Morgan, Britni, you, and me; we're a family. He's right another pregnancy would be suicide, and it wouldn't be fair to leave these kids orphaned."

"You mean without a mom?" She turned around to correct him.

"I'm sure they would still have Sonny and Jax, but if you haven't figured it out yet I can't live without you."

"Sure you can, and you would be with a lot less headaches."

"You really don't get it…" He said stroking her hair.

[She thinks I walk on water  
She thinks I hung the moon  
She tells me every morning,  
"They just don't make men like you"

She thinks I've got it together  
She swears I'm as tough as nails  
But I don't have the heart to tell her  
She don't know me that well

She don't know how much I need her  
She don't know I'd fall apart  
Without her kiss, without her touch  
Without her faithful, loving arms  
She don't know that it's all about her  
She don't know I can't live without her  
She's my world, she's my everything  
And she thinks she needs me]

"Why don't you tell me then?" Carly asked

"I have told you; my strength comes from you. When Michael was shot the only thing keeping me from falling apart was knowing that we were in it together. When I thought I was going to lose you…"

[Sometimes she cries on my shoulder  
When she's lying next to me  
But she don't know that when I hold her  
That she's really holding me, holding me

She don't know how much I need her  
She don't know I'd fall apart  
Without her kiss, without her touch  
Without her faithful, loving arms  
She don't know that it's all about her  
She don't know I can't live without her  
She's my world, she's my everything  
And she thinks she needs me

Yeah, and the funny thing is  
She thinks she's the lucky one]

Carly wiped away the tear in the brim of his eye. "I've known the expectancy in the business wasn't exactly prolific. As selfish as it is for me to say; in the back of my mind I hoped that my time would be up before yours. Jason, I don't know if I could keep going…"

He interrupted her with a kiss.

[She don't know how much I need her  
She don't know I'd fall apart  
Without her kiss, without her touch  
Without her faithful, loving arms  
She don't know that it's all about her  
She don't know I can't live without her  
She's my world, she's my everything  
And she thinks she needs me

She thinks I walk on water  
She thinks I hung the moon. -- Andy Griggs]

************

"You know, you don't have to feed me every time I come over here." Johnny laughed at the stack of hotcakes in front of him.

"You have to eat sometime." Olivia argued standing behind him nibbling on his collar.

"I can pick something up at the way to the garage. You know, I belong to that generation that believes a woman's place is not in the kitchen…"

"See that's where you got it wrong. The woman's place is anywhere she darn well pleases. I happen to enjoy cooking, but apparently you are not in the mood for eating."

"It's not that." Johnny replied still gazing out.

Olivia took the adjacent chair. "You're worried about what I didn't almost walk in on yesterday."

"You mean you…"

"Noticed the look of shock and shame as I walked in? Yeah, I caught it, but I also know that nothing happened."

"How?"

Olivia took Johnny's hand. "A magician never reveals their secrets."

"A magician now?"

"If you really want to know, for starters both of you were fully clothed."

"That doesn't mean…"

"And the awkward sexual tension was still there when I left." Olivia explained. "The first kiss tells a lot. I'm not saying it doesn't complicate things, but it also answers the uncertainty."

He snickered at the explanation; it made sense. "Does that mean you think I should kiss her?"

"That depends on how eager you are to have your questions answered. Obviously I don't want you going around kissing other women, especially ones involved with my son. Just know that as likely as it is to clear things up it also has the added bonus of making things a whole hell of a lot more complicated."

"Most women would go crazy jealous at the slightest hint of infidelity." Johnny mused.

"Is that what you want? You want me to fight for my man?"

"Preferably leather clad in a UFC cage match, yeah." He teased. "Come to think about it, that mental picture could probably keep me for the better part of the day."

"Well that's just perfect, 'cause I have to go to the hotel." Olivia said starting to stand up.

"Not even a kiss goodbye?"

"Nah. I'll leave you alone with your fantasy." As she walked away he grabbed onto her arm pulling her onto his lap.

"Don't think you're getting away that easily." He told her before they kissed each other.

*************

"So, about what we were discussing last night…" Sam brought up the point to Lucky again.

"No. You're not doing it." Lucky cut her off.

"Lucky, you have enough to deal with making sure Lulu is safe. You don't need to play my babysitter as well. I happen to be a grown woman who is really good at what she does, and I agree with Nikolas we need to figure out who we are dealing with."

"And you think flying out to Greece and excavating a grave is going to accomplish that?" He argued.

"Robin said that she can help with a DNA test; if we can prove that whatever sits at that plot is either Cassadine or Scorpio we'll know that the Ice Princess is behind all of this."

"And if she grabs you up before you make it to the plot?"

"Then Nikolas will find me using our handy dandy locating devices."

"If you're going then Spinelli should go with." Lucky replied knowing that the decision had already been made and he had little say on the matter.

"Lucky, I love you." She said combing her fingers through his hair sitting on the couch with her legs rested over his.

"I love you, too. I just don't love this; it doesn't sit right. None of it. For all we know you're going to open the casket and Valentin is going to sit up and take you as his Prince of Darkness bride."

"You've been spending way too much time listening to your father's stories."

"When do you leave?" Lucky asked her.

"In a couple of hours. Nikolas is having the jet fueled now."

"I suppose that doesn't leave us a lot of time." He said scooping her up into his arms to bring her upstairs. Sam smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.


	133. Chapter 133

"Michael, come over here, look at this." Alyssa instructed. She was sitting on the bench of the out cove windowsill looking out over the mountain range. They had gotten in late and by the time all the bags were loaded in people were crashing. Michael appreciated the fact that Zander didn't care one way or another where he crashed figuring Lieutenant Johnson's threat was enough to keep him in line.

The sun sat below the horizon lighting up the slopes in an array of pinks, yellows, and oranges. Michael joined her on content in her marvel. "The first couple of days after waking up from the coma I had a hard time sleeping."

"I can't imagine why." Alyssa joked.

"I was too weak to get out of bed so I would prop it up to see out the window and watch the sunrise like I was seeing my favorite movie over and over. You know, it's funny because before that I can't recall over just sitting there and taking in those moments. It is that reminder of time passing daily that we just take for granted."

Alyssa leaned back against him together watching the morning star peak through mountains. "The first time I remember watching the sunrise was about a year and a half ago. I went back to Rochester for my best friend's funeral."

"What happened?" Michael asked in shock; she had never mentioned anything about that prior.

"It was her sixteenth birthday; she had just gotten her driver's license, and went to a party where they were serving alcohol. She had too much, but not knowing her own tolerance she attempted to drive home. She hit a tree."

"I had no idea." Michael remarked.

"My mom went with me, and we stayed at my grandma's. The morning of the funeral I sat out on the porch and watched the sun come up. I swore to myself that I was never going to take life for granted again."

"I am so sorry. Why didn't you say anything when we…" Michael expressed his concern. It had been a little less than a month since their car crash, and he hadn't thought about the effect that accident could have taken on her psychologically.

"You were dealing with the death of your sister." She argued cuddling next to him.

"That doesn't mean you weren't dealing with your own stuff that I was completely oblivious to." He replied. "Lys, I want to be able to be there for you."

"Michael, I didn't tell you about it to make you feel sorry for me. I understand what it feels like to get something taken from you so harshly that it makes you re-examine the significance of life."

"That's amazing."

"What is?"

"You're reaction. If that was me I would have thrown a tantrum so hard the whole East coast would have felt the after shock."

"Oh, I was angry, don't get me wrong." Alyssa remarked. "I was mad at her for being so stupid; and mad at the world from taking her from me, but mostly I was angry at myself for leaving her alone to make those decisions."

"It's not your fault." Michael responded.

"And how did that work for you when your mom had a stroke or when your sister was killed?"

"That was different; I was driving the car…"

"I thought I heard voices in here." Trish poked her head in the door. "Kevin was interested in getting an early start."

"Yeah, we were just about to get ready." Alyssa responded.

"No rush; well, okay, a little rush." Trish smirked. "We'll be downstairs. Zander picked up some milk and cereal. Oh, and by the way, Zander, way hot!"

"Trisha Marie!" Alyssa replied sternly.

"What? I can look. It's not as though I'm married or anything."

"No, but isn't he a little old for you?" Michael questioned. "I think there's a term for that… cradle robbing, jailbait."

"I'm eighteen." Trish argued. "There's nothing statutory about it; besides, I'm just looking. Things are finally going really well with Kevin; we're almost as sickening cute as you two are."

Both Alyssa and Michael stared back blankly.

"Please, like you don't know your reputation of the Queen of Angel's destiny couple? Oh yeah, and Michael sacrificing himself to save you from the hostage situation… right out of a Danielle Steel novel."

"Danielle Steel?" Alyssa questioned.

"An old romance novelist; my mom has all her books." Trish clarified.

"Are they coming?" Kevin asked getting impatient.

"Yes; as soon as they get dressed." Trish yelled back at him.

"Well, stop gabbing and let them get ready."

"On that note…"

"We'll be down shortly." Michael promised.

************

"Come on." Jason said pulling Carly from the couch. They were resting comfortably after a splendid morning of doing nothing.

"Where are we going?" She hesitantly asked.

"Out."

"I can't; momma is going to be here with Morgan and Britni." She objected.

"Not for another hour." He argued. "Besides you asked for this."

"Asked for what?" She questioned following him outside.

Instead of answering Jason grabbed his spare helmet and handed it over to her. After a brief glance of disbelief she put it on and straddled the bike behind him. Carly wrapped her arms around his chest and nuzzled against the back of the leather coat.

The feel of the engine starting and the power of the motor vibrating from between her legs brought a satisfied beam to her face. Carly watched the world pass by her in a blur of color. The temperature was cool; windy enough to bring a tear to her eye. While she was there nothing mattered but her, Jason, and the bike. There was a poetic tranquility in the rampant exertion of adrenaline that came from the experience. She understood completely Jason's need for the rush he got from it; it was intoxicating and it didn't take much to get hooked.

***********

The jet was prepared as soon as Sam pulled up to the airport; Lucky drove her there in order to send her off before heading to the station.

"If you need me to call in I can." Lucky insisted.

"Didn't you take off enough time when we went traipsing through the Southern hemisphere, and I think in this case less is more." Sam replied.

"I would need to agree with that." Nikolas added. He motioned security to load their bags onto his jet allowing his brother and cousin to say goodbye. Spinelli had already taken his seat aboard and set up the computer to hack into his soft wear.

"Try to keep me in the loop." Lucky requested feeling hypocritical considering he did everything possible to prevent his family from knowing about what he was doing to find Jerry.

"We'll try. Gees, don't worry so much." Sam teased.

They all had ample reason to worry and knew it. However; is was decided that the unknown was worse than the threat itself. Research had been put on a stand still without my information.

"I'll stop worrying when you are back at home, but until then do what you need to in order to stay safe. Oh, and send pictures of the grave robbing. The mere idea of Nikolas in the dirt is priceless."

Nikolas shook his head at the remark. "Thanks for the support."

"The mental picture is highly entertaining." Sam agreed.

"Nothing like the love of your family. Are we set?"

Sam gestured for one more minute using that to plant a kiss on Lucky to last the duration of their trip and even managed to get both to briefly forget about the terror they were experiencing.

"We'll be back soon." Sam promised.

***********

"Mrs. Corinthos, are you okay?" The guard asked while carrying her to the nurse's station.

"Wh… what happened?" Claudia asked coming to.

"You fainted." He explained. She was in her cell about to be released for an activity when she collapsed to the concrete floor.

"I… I'm okay." She insisted.

"No way. You're not getting off this time." He had listened to her the day before when she brushed off his concern.

"Will you at least let me walk?" She requested.

The guard stood pensively for a brief moment before releasing her legs. He led her the way to the office where she could lay down and wait for the nurse to arrive.

"Mrs. Claudia Corinthos?" The nurse questioned stepping in.

"That would be me." She replied.

"You're the mob princess that everyone has been talking about? Not quite was I was expecting." The nurse was an athletic blond who looked to be in her early thirties. There was a hardness to her that was consistent with most of the prison staff but a hint of kindness in her eyes.

"I guess I'm a lot less menacing in the navy jumpsuit. By the way, kudos to whoever suggested ditching the orange, Nurse McCartney." She read from the ID card.

The nurse smiled at the commentary. "What seems to be the problem? You can call me Stella."

Claudia paused unsure of what the guard may have told her.

"How long have you been experiencing the dizziness?"

"Just the last couple of days." Claudia answered. "Everything I say here is confidential, right?"

"Of course." Stella answered.

"You wont tell anyone? Including my husband."

"If that's what you wish."

"I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant."

"It's not atypical to skip a period shortly after incarceration; the stress effects a lot of women."

"It's not that." Claudia tried to explain. "Besides bleeding after the miscarriage I haven't had any… It'd only be a couple weeks along."

"What makes you think you're pregnant?"

"Besides the fainting?" She questioned the obvious. "Attacks of nausea the past two nights that hit about the same time and passes during the day."

"It's a little early for morning sickness but we can try a first response. I would like to do some blood work in case we're wrong. If you can fill out the preliminary paperwork I will grab the supplies."

Claudia grabbed the clip board while Stella left the room. She scribed her medical history; besides the latest accident causing her miscarriage she had been fairly healthy. The majority of accidents and hospitalizations came after her move to Port Charles.

When the nurse returned she handed Claudia a cup. "Bathroom is down the hall. A guard will show you to the door. Leave the container at the lab and come straight back when you are through."

"And then we wait? How soon can we expect an accurate reading?"

"It's possible we may get a false negative, but the blood test should catch it."

Claudia held out her arm to get the blood drawn before leaving to use the restroom; she was relieved to be able to pee behind an actual door.

"Can I ask why you want to keep this information from your husband?" Stella asked once she returned.

"About a week before trial. I was in an accident where I lost my daughter. I was in my last trimester. It devastated both of us and I just want to make sure; I want to get into the second trimester before saying anything."

"I can understand that." She sympathized.

"Oh, and my father cannot know."

"Mr. Zacchara? I won't say anything…"

"But?" Claudia questioned reading the nurses expression.

"I'm pretty sure your old man has infiltrated this entire facility."

"And there's no way to not chart the findings?"

Stella shook her head no.

"Of course. So?" Claudia questioned as the test was handed to her in a plastic bag.

She studied the results before starting. "I really wish this could be given under different circumstances."

Claudia paused anticipating the answer.

"But it looks like I have a prescription to write out for you."

"You mean?"

"Do you have a preference in your prenatal vitamin?"

Claudia let out a gasp a relief. As sure as she was in the back of her mind she tried to protect herself from the truth in case she was wrong. "Oh God!" Claudia then reacted as it sank in.

"What's wrong?"

"He's not going to get the chance to know his mom until he's in his mid twenties." She couldn't believe that thought had never crossed her mind before now. She had wanted it so badly and the thought of being pregnant excited her so much that she hadn't considered the negative.

"He?" Stella questioned.

"It's a boy." Claudia said looking down at her stomach.

"I suppose I don't need to hear the drill about the options if this isn't the right time…"

"I'm not terminating. He has a father and uncle capable of looking after him, and who knows, maybe uncle Ric can get mama off on appeal." Claudia replied; by the end of the sentence she was talking exclusively to her son.

"You can rest here while I get the vitamins for you, and the Brutus the security guard will guide you back. The meals here, while not the most appetizing, should provide you with the nutrients you need. Make sure to get water and avoid too much caffeine. And I'll keep my finger's crossed for that appeal."

"Thank you."

"You really weren't what I was expecting." The nurse commented again.

"Probably because you were expecting someone cold-hearted enough to put her future step-son in a permanent coma. It's okay, that reputation is what is keeping me alive around here."

"Did you do it?"

"I can't answer that." Claudia replied. It wasn't that she didn't want to, or didn't trust the nurse. Actually Stella was the first person, besides Brutus, that she felt comfortable enough to say more than a couple words to. She just wasn't willing to risk a confession coming out in the event of an appeal. "Like you said; my father has people infiltrating the entire facility."

**Author's note/baby spoilers: Okay, so yes, Claudia is pregnant. There has been lots of mention of pregnancy and babies. As far as Jarly baby? In my humble opinion even if he has AJ's DNA, Michael is a Jarly baby. No I'm not writing it in, at this point it really would be too dangerous for Carly. Future spoilers… look for another couple to be gearing towards parenthood. **


	134. Chapter 134

"Wow, I'm out of practice." Liz said brushing off the snow.

"You were doing… well." Zander encouraged.

"Up until the point I was heading straight for the tree and fell over to avoid impact."

"You mean the butt sliding wasn't a new technique that you were trying out? You had me fooled. Nice job in getting the shoes underneath you in order to do it."

"You're too nice, but I think I'm done for the time being. You are free to join the others on the diamonds."

"I can stay with…"

"Please don't. I'm just going to grab some cocoa and read for awhile by the fireplace. I mean it, go play!"

After moments of hesitation and another nonverbal prompt Zander did as she wished and made his way to the lift. Michael was on his way down on the board with Alyssa zigzagging behind.

"So now we finally get the privilege of seeing the master in action?" Kevin questioned when Zander approached.

"Is everything okay with Liz?" Trish inquired.

"She's fine." He responded. "Just taking a break."

"I think I'm just about there myself." Trish admitted.

"I am getting hungry." Kevin told her. "Would you like to break next time we meet up with Lys and Michael?"

"You're up." Zander pointed out to him.

"Nah, go for it. This I want to see." Kevin insisted.

Zander stood at the top looking down planning his route before pushing off trying to get as much speed as he could while maintaining control. He loved the rush he got from dodging the trees and jumping from the platforms in a kinetic landing. Michael watched from the bottom in a round of applause.

"That was beautiful." Alyssa added.

"Thank you." He smirked. "Liz is at the resort. Kevin and Trish were talking about lunch when they caught up with you. They should be down soon."

"I'm game." Michael announced feeling parched himself.

"Thank God." Alyssa mumbled; she was feeling soreness from the shoulders down.

"Are you coming?" Michael asked Zander.

"I'll meet up; going to try a couple more runs first." He explained. "I caught the fourth turn at a weird angle going into the jump."

"Could have fooled me." Michael replied.

***********

"Mom, can I ride Jason's motorcycle?" Morgan asked after Carly told him about her morning.

"I don't know." She replied cautiously.

"Please? Come on, you had me in my first bikers jacket at the age of three." He replied having pictures as proof.

"Tell you what." Jason replied noticing Carly's hesitance. "Michael didn't get to ride until he was thirteen; so if your mom agrees I'll take you for a ride as a present for your thirteenth birthday."

"But that's four years." He complained.

"That's the deal." Carly confirmed.

"Okay, I'll take it but I'm putting it on my calendar now." Morgan said pulling out his laptop.

"Thank you." Carly whispered to Jason.

"He's not going to forget." He warned her.

"Oh, I know. Hopefully he can get more experience on the jet skis in the meantime. The water is more forgiving then the pavement. It's not that I don't trust you; I just know a lot of it has to do with which way you're leaning going into the turn…"

"Ewe, must you do the kissing thing?" Morgan commented as Jason brought her in to stop her from rambling.

"Do you have the invites set for the New Years party?" Carly asked her son.

"Yeah, Grandma helped me with the addresses." Morgan clarified. "We sent them out yesterday. Mom, do you think we could get use of the pool?"

"Honey, you know the rule…" Carly started.

"I'm sure Jax would be okay with putting a lifeguard on duty if we asked…" He pressed.

"Morgan, it's too last minute; schedules went out two weeks ago it wouldn't be fair."

"He could give them a bonus; you know time and a half…"

Jason met gazes with Morgan in a nonverbal communication letting him know that he may just get his way.

"Okay, fine, I understand. No swimming unless there's someone trained in CPR and First Aide present. I just think it's silly with all the risk you put yourself through why you're so cautious with me; even more so than you were with Michael when he was my age."

"Morgan…" Jason started to explain.

"I know; things changed after the accident. I get that you are protecting me, and I respect your authority."

"Wow! You're up to something. If it's video game time then go for it." Carly encouraged.

Morgan took the out grinning at Jason before darting off.

"Now what was that?" She questioned Jason.

"No idea. Although part of me has to agree with him on the risk taking. The do as I say not as I do seems pretty unfair."

"So you think I should allow my nine-year-old son to dive into the pool unsupervised or hop onto the back of a Harley?" She questioned him.

"That's not what I'm saying; I'm saying that if you cut out your own danger seeking behavior…"

"Oh no, I am not getting this lecture from you." She interrupted him. "Mr. I'm not alive unless I'm speeding down winding roads or bullets are flying around me. You consistently laugh at the odds but the moment I do it you get all fussy."

"That's because…"

"Because as much as you trust me there is that constant fear that one day the odds will catch up on us and you'll have to go through the grief of losing me. I know that; I feel the same way about you and that is magnified for the kids. Jase, without having you and Morgan I would not have survived what happened to Michael."

"You would have found a way."

"No. I don't believe that. I lost my mind reeling from the belief Michael was dead, and then you were unavailable to me… After the shooting I felt myself slipping back. I did everything I could not to let the pain consume me, but it was there; the thoughts that I deserved to be the one in the hospital bed, that Morgan was better off without me as an influence in my life. It took everything I had to shut those voices out."

"What about Jax? You said me and Morgan… Wouldn't your husband be a reason for you to keep fighting?"

"You would think so. Part of the reason for me sleeping with Sonny was to give Jax the excuse he needed to leave me. All I was going to do was drag him down with my issues and he deserved better than that."

"Now I know that I don't agree with that." Jason argued. "Jasper Jacks is an egotistical pampas jerk and the fact that he can make you feel like you don't deserve him is a testament to that."

"Don't hold back." Carly replied sarcastically not used to seeing Jason get that fired up about anything much less a guy that she was seeing.

"I supported you marrying the guy only so long as he was keeping you happy. I could have throttled him when he left you the last time."

"He left me for cheating." She stated.

"And any moron with half a brain would have understood why. He left you because his ego was bruised not because he was afraid that you didn't love him or that you were on the brink of long term affair. It's not rational, but he knew what he was getting into when he married you. You pushing him away and self-destructing with Sonny that's…"

"Classic Carly behavior?" She interrupted. "And when I did it to you Jason, you left town and barely looked back."

"I was stupid. It took you driving your car off a cliff to get me back to Port Charles and your heart stopping to realize I had to have you."

"Weren't you supposed to be giving me a lecture about how I am not to be putting myself in dangerous situations? Because based on the last comment I am not seeing the incentive of staying out of trouble. If I would have known that all it took was a cardiac arrest to open your eyes…"

"Before you think the next thought can I remind you that they're open now? Carly, I mean it, I can't… I love you too much."

"And I will never get sick of hearing that."

***********

"No, no, and no!" Maxie screamed over the telephone. "I don't care what they will pay us I am not allowing a Lucky the leprechaun ad in my fashion magazine. That's final!"

As the phone slammed down Lulu jumped back. "Somebody is a little testy today."

"Did you know that Spinelli is on his way to Greece for fieldwork? With no way of knowing if he's going to be here in time for the New Year's kiss. I thought Sam agreed that Spinelli didn't do fieldwork, and if he were to go to Greece it should be for a stress free romantic get-away with me not to hunt down some mysterious un-dead killer of a Cassadine."

Lulu wasn't entirely sure where to start with the rant. "Romantic get-away in Greece? Huh, I would have figured you for a Bahamas girl."

"You completely missed the point, and well, yeah, but then I watched Mama Mia and got hooked on the Mediterranean."

"Mama Mia?" Lulu made a face. "Don't tell me you're one of those Abba fans? Your coolness factor just took a nosedive."

"Lulu, deep down we're all Abba fans."

"Um… I don't think so." Lulu replied.

"Oh come on." Maxie urged and started singing some lyrics. "… you are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen…"

"Okay, do you want the article or not?" Lulu squirmed.

"Oh yeah." She was handed an article entitled 'a fashionistas guide to the use of green on St. Patrick's day' by Leslie Lu Spencer. Maxie read through her tips and suggestions. "Not half bad. The title needs to be revamped but I could use this. Congratulations, you may just be on your way to Jr. Editor. I mean, when I get promoted to Co-Editor or whatever it was Jax had in mind."

"Are you girls busy?" BrookLynn asked from outside the open office doors.

"Almost done for the day, why? What's up?" Lulu asked.

"Tonight is my last night in town and I was hoping that you could join me in my going away dinner at the no-name."

"You're leaving?" Maxie whined. "If I refuse to go will you stay?"

Brook shook her head no. "I'm sorry, my producer just called insisting on my return for a big project."

"In that case I'm in." Maxie submitted.

"Me too. Is it okay if I invite…?"

"Matt is coming, unfortunately Spinelli's phone was turned off so…"

"He's on his way to Greece." Lulu explained.

"Oh, so he's a no." Brook commented. "I won't keep you; reservation is for seven."

***********

"Do you mind if we stay here?" Michael asked Zander as the boys helped load the gear into the SUV. The after hour festivities where about to begin at the resort as the sun set.

"I don't care. Just stay together and make sure Milo is nearby." Zander replied.

"Did anyone tell you that you were too cool to be a chaperone?" Kevin questioned.

"Just don't make me regret the leniency." He warned.

"Not a chance."

"I don't really want to gamble in who would take the grunt of the consequences." Michael added.

"From your mom or your dad? I'll take the heat from your father." Zander remarked.

"Okay what is it about Mrs. Jacks that inspires such intimidation? I've met the woman and I don't understand it. Is she really that bad?" Kevin responded.

"She scared a room full of mobsters with a baseball bat." Michael explained.

"And shot a man in open court." Zander added.

"Drugged someone and dumped them in a shopping cart." Michael listed.

"Locked a woman under water in a boat house."

"Really?" Michael questioned Zander on that one.

"You can't make that sort of thing up." He confirmed.

"Okay, I get it." Kevin backed up after loading the last set of skies. "Although that does beg the question to why your step mother is still alive."

"Because when my mom found out she was in South Carolina and Claudia in Italy."

"Good to know. If something goes wrong just fly across the ocean." Kevin took from it.

"What's taking you guys so long?" Trish asked popping her head outside with a hot mocha in hand.

"We were just finishing up." Michael explained.

"And?" She questioned the permission to stay out. Liz had left it up to Zander. Kevin gave the thumbs up signal.

************

"How was work today?" Dante asked Caitlyn in the lobby of the MetroCourt. She had requested he meet her there after being invited to BrookLynn's goodbye dinner.

"No complaints. You look nice." She replied liking the suit and tie look on him. She was happy to have the boutique in the building.

"Is that your formal wear?" Dante asked pointing to the garment bag.

"It is, and since we have some extra time I thought we could use this to go upstairs." She said holding up a swipe card.

Dante grinned at the insinuation. "It looks like we finally get that date."

"With your mom and half the town of Port Charles." Caitlyn argued.

"Half?"

"Well… Lulu, Matt, Maxie, you, me, Olivia, Johnny, and the Quartermaine's. Maybe more like a quarter, but have you noticed how many people are out of town?"

"Not until you said something, but since this doesn't count can I ask you to leave your evening free for New Years?"

"Ew… can't. I promised Jason a favor."

"Jason? When…? I don't think I want to know. What kind of favor?"

"The kind where we chaperone your brother's New Years party."

"What? You volunteered the both of us to watch over a nine-year-olds party?"

"He's offering compensation. It's all planned out; they'll start in the pool and then the downstairs conference room was rented out for pizza and movies until the ball drops at Midnight when the parents, who will probably be partying upstairs at the Grille, will pick them up. Well, except Morgan. He comes home with us."

"You know that it's not going to be that simple, right?" Dante threw out.

"When is it ever? Does that mean you're not going to help?" She pouted.

"Wow, is Caitlyn Montgomery asking for help?" He acted shocked.

"Well, I mainly just wanted my boyfriend around to kiss at midnight, but if that's what it takes to get you to agree then sure. I think Carly just wanted to do something special for Morgan since Michael got the ski trip."

"Obviously Jason has something special planned for Carly."

"And if we stop chatting you and I can have something special upstairs." She hinted not so subtly while grabbing his tie bringing his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her about to engage but using the restraint to grab her hand and lead her to the elevator.


	135. Chapter 135

After nine and half hours of flying Nikolas, Sam, and Spinelli landed in small airport off the coast of the Crete Island.

"What time is it exactly?" Sam asked as they walked out under the night's sky.

"A quarter to four." Nik answered.

"In the morning?" Sam questioned and then saw the expression on both Nik and Spinelli's faces. "I guess that is a stupid question."

"There's no such thing as stupid questions." Spinelli patted Sam's shoulder.

"Yes there is." She replied feeling her cheeks go red in embarrassment.

"That's our ride." Nikolas pointed out the approaching limousine.

"Has anyone ever taught you the meaning of the word subtle?" Sam questioned. "You do understand that we can't knock on the front door of the Cassadine estate for lodging, right? I know it's hard but no castle tonight."

"I realize that." Nikolas answered holding the door open for the other two.

"Pou pas?" The driver asked.

"Veneto." Nikolas answered.

Sam and Spinelli exchanged glances causing Spinelli to shrug. "It's all Greek to me." They pulled up at an old 14th century manor that was converted into the Veneto Suites a decade prior with good access to old Rethymno. The limo driver helped carry the bags out and Nikolas handled check-in.

"Is that the cemetery over there?" Sam asked looking off the patio.

"That's the one." Nikolas confirmed. "And if you look over there you'll see a flag flying from the tower of the Cassadine Castle in Chania."

"Where you matured from tot to adolescent royalty?" Spinelli questioned.

"If you're asking if that's where I was raised? Then yes. I was mainly under the care of my uncle Stefan." He replied attempting to explain why he wasn't completely messed up.

"What shall we do now?" Spinelli waited for direction.

"Is there anyway you can hack into the security feed from the cemetery?" Sam replied. "With the sun coming up soon we won't be able to do a good steak out until tomorrow evening. Then we can find out what kind of manual watch they have on the place and make a plan to get in."

"Aye aye captain." Spinelli replied and went inside to set up the computer attempting to find a wireless connection to hack into.

"What's wrong?" Nik questioned noticing the frustration in the Jackal.

"There's no connection here. The Jackal will need to locate a library or café with wireless access."

"Wonderful." Sam scoffed.

"Can't you make it think there's a connection?" Nikolas inquired not truly understanding how computers really worked.

"The Jackal may be the ace of cyber space but without a signal to pick up on there's no computer on the planet that can hack into the ether. The prince should have thought about that before casting us to the desolate corner of Old Rethymnon."

"Oh, I'm sorry, when instructed to find a location near the burial site I forgot to check on the Wi-Fi." Nikolas countered.

"Enough; it's been a long day. This isn't the end of the world. Let's go to sleep and find a café tomorrow, or well later today." Sam interjected.

***********

"When does the tour start?" Ned asked his daughter walking into the No-Name.

"Tour? What tour?" She questioned.

"The one you will be on as soon as your record is produced." Dillon answered.

"Oh… yeah, I don't know. I guess that would depend on the availability of the band and putting someone in charge of booking the gigs, and… first we should see if the CD sells."

"Are you kidding child, the first million sales are coming right out of here." Edward said pointing towards his wallet.

"Your first CD did quite well." Monica encouraged.

"Well yeah, but… Sage wrote a majority of the songs on that one."

"Correction; Sage wrote the lyrics. You composed the songs." Lucas came into the conversation. "As great as that CD was, and it really was I bought one for all of my friends, I'm sure this will be better."

"Thanks." She said giving him a hug. They sat down as Ned confirmed the reservation. While waiting for their table to clear Lulu, Matt, and Maxie showed up; soon after Tracy and Luke located the group with Olivia and Johnny not far behind.

"Who are we waiting for?" Lulu asked noticing the lack of ordering.

"Dante and Caitlyn are on their way." BrookLynn responded checking her cell phone text messages.

"Can I order from the drink menu?" Luke asked for Tracy's permission.

"Drinks are fine." She responded.

"Where's your son?" Ned asked Luke; at Christmas he was impressed with how uncanny the similarities between Luke and Ethan were. Tracy had told him about it, but he couldn't fully grasp until he saw it for himself.

"I have him taking care of the tables tonight." Luke explained.

"Promoted from bartender?" Maxie questioned.

"Didn't I tell you?" Lulu added. "Dad found an aspiring actor working his way through school to fill in at the casino. Personally I think we should hire him over at Crimson for the next spread."

"Perfect 32?" Maxie inquired.

"Oh yeah." Lulu replied.

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm a 32." Matt responded.

"Sure… but, you have more important things to be doing." Lulu explained. "You know saving people's lives on a daily basis."

"That's the reason you wouldn't suggest me for a spread?"

"Would you really want to be in a fashion magazine anyway?" Dillon asked him. "Weren't you one of the youngest surgeons ever to be published in Medical Weekly?"

"Yes." Matt coyly replied; he was in med school doing research for one of his professors. It wasn't so much he wanted to model as it was his girlfriend finding him attractive enough to suggest modeling.

"Look who finally graces us with their presence?" BrookLynn said watching for Dante to enter. "You look fantastic."

"Not so shabby yourself; definitely Grammy worthy." Dante greeted her. Caitlyn took the empty seat next to Johnny.

"Nuh uh, when you get nominated for your first Grammy you need to talk to me; I'll make sure to hook you up with an original." Maxie stated.

"Well, thank you, but chances are I'll be interrupted by Kayne West on the MTV Viewers Choice Awards long before I make any headways at the Grammy's."

"She can set up with something nice for that too." Lucas encouraged.

"Complete with designer brass knuckles to pop him in the jaw?" Ned requested. Imagining what he would have done if it really was his daughter on the stage when that went down.

"Sure; how about silver with diamond studs? It'll be a new craze that a Hilton didn't start." Maxie teased.

"May I take your order?" The waitress asked approaching the table taking down the drink and appetizers.

*************

"It's all set." Zander insisted holding out his hand for Liz to follow. After a couple hours of being sedentary her muscles were starting to tense up making any movement difficult. Inside the master bath Zander prepared the jacuzzi and scattered aroma therapy candles around the room for the ambiance.

"Are you going to join me?" Liz asked starting to remove the robe from her shoulders. "I may need some help."

"In that case I wouldn't be a gentleman were I to decline." He replied pulling the belt off from his slacks and removing his shirt.

"You know, it's funny the things you never forget." Liz replied leaning in on Zander's exposed chest.

"Like what?"

"This and this." She brushed her fingers over the scars on his chest. Zander attempted to conceal them with his arm. "No, don't."

"I didn't realize that you were the type aroused by battle wounds."

She smirked and pulled him towards the tub. "I like to consider myself an artist; one who appreciates the beauty in imperfection. That Halloween we found comfort in each other…" She replied attempting to add the poetry to 'hooked up'. "I remember tracing the contours of your chest with my finger until I memorized each line. Six years later and I could close my eyes and picture you."

"Scars and all?" He questioned.

"Scars and all." She confirmed stepping into the tub completely nude. He took his own time studying her contours and saving it to his long time memory before following her in. Liz pressed up against him with her lips to his sinking into one against the jet stream.

***********

"Is everything okay?" Jason asked finding Carly resting her head against the glider while holding a sleeping infant in a dark nursery.

"She's perfect." Carly replied.

Jason knelt down next to Carly brushing her hair from her face. "I know she is, but what about you? And I can tell when you're lying."

"I was late taking my meds and started feeling a headache come on, but I swear it's fine."

"Carly…"

"Stop right now; it's not easy adjusting to… all of this. God, a life dependent on pills, but I'm doing the best I can Jase."

"I know; is there anything I can do to help? Put an alarm in your phone; a week supply in your purse?"

"Can you put Britni in her crib?" She requested instead. "This is my illness and my medications and I will figure it out. The most I can ask for right now is to not treat me like I'm about to break…"

"But…" He interrupted.

"No, no buts. I'm still that same Carly Roberts/Bensen/Spencer that came steam rolling into your life a couple decades ago. I still possess that same fight and drive… and my determination has tripled with the additions of our family."

"But you're not invincible."

"Says who?" She teased.

"Car…"

"Okay, I know. No, I am not invincible, but I'm not made of glass either. I've spoken to Dr. Drake about this and he says that I'm still healing from the surgery; the headaches may be a side effect from that or it's possible it may be reoccurring, but the cat scan and blood work still look good."

"Reoccurring? Are you saying that this may be permanent?"

"Everybody lives with headaches; Patrick asked that if they became more frequent or more agonizing to let him know."

"When did you talk to him?"

"I don't remember; I pulled him aside during one of our breaks at court. Why?"

"Because you haven't told me any of this. I knew you were struggling with sleep."

"And I assume that's part of it, too; stress as been high lately."

"When you got out of the hospital you promised me that you weren't going to keep this kind of thing from me. Or do you forget that's how you had the stroke in the first place?"

"I didn't forget, but if you were listening to me you would have heard that I talked to my doctor about it. A doctor that also happens to be a friend of mine, since he didn't seem to be too concerned I didn't think I had to run it passed you just to make you worry more." Carly swiveled the chair to face Jason and grabbed both hands. "Jason, I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. A long, lavish one filled with good times and great memories that we tell to our great grandchildren."

"I want that too." He replied.

"Then trust me; when I want something, and I put everything I have into making it happen…"

"Then it's going to happen." Jason agreed.

************

When Claudia felt her nausea resurfacing she requested to be brought back to the nurse's office at Stella's recommendation. The bed was much more comfortable and she couldn't pass up the privacy.

"Here." Stella placed a damp cloth a nape of Claudia's neck.

Claudia groaned laying her head back on the pillow. "How long is your shift?"

"The other nurse called out sick so I'm stuck pulling a double."

"I'm sorry if watching me puke my guts out spoiled your evening plans." Claudia apologized.

"Don't worry about it; my plan consisted of swinging by the liquor store to buy some Grey Goose, splash a hint of orange juice in it and curl up with my cockapoo while watching Soapnet, and let's face it the writing is nothing like it used to be on those things."

"Tell me about it; they kill off the best characters, and the storylines take forever to play out. You're better off reading a good fan fiction."

"Ooh, now you're diving into my guilty pleasures." Stella admitted.

"Yours too? So? Safe or Ejami?" Claudia questioned.

"Are you kidding? Lumi forever."

"Lumi? Didn't you hear? Lucas is leaving."

"I heard which means it's only a matter of time before the only fix I get is from the fics." Stella replied.

"Can you do me a favor and print off the good ones?" Claudia requested before hunching over the bucket beside her.

Stella held her hair and rubbed her back; as much as Claudia half wished it was Sonny taking care of her, not that she ever wanted Sonny to see her that sick, it was comforting knowing that she wasn't completely alone.

"Just so I know which communities to scour; Ejami or Safe?"

"Please," Claudia replied wiping away the sweat from her brow. "Ejami all the way. Sami Brady is way too much of an impulsive schemer for Mr. Hernandez. EJ is the only one who gets her."

"I beg to differ that point." Stella argued handing Claudia a box of saltines. "Feeling any better?"

"I think I'm through the worst of it." She admitted resting back in the mattress and munching on a cracker.

"Good, then I'm going to clean this out, but if you need anything in the meantime just holler."

Stella got about five steps down the hall when the alarms went off in the building. She rushed back.

"What's going on?" Claudia questioned.

"I'm not sure, just stay here." Stella replied cautiously.


	136. Chapter 136

"Hello Sonny, you mind if I come in?" Dante asked outside his father's den.

"Sure, anytime. You could call me dad…" Sonny replied from his desk.

"Some day…" Dante responded; he was still in the process of getting used to the idea of being Sonny Corinthos' son. "This is actually business related."

"I heard the Mendes thing was taken care of; good job with that one."

"Yeah, about that… I've been thinking a lot about my place in the organization and what I want for my future."

"Please, sit down." Sonny requested gesturing him towards the couch. "I have actually been meaning to have this discussion with you for awhile. I appreciate the job you and Johnny did while I was out of town and even after, I know the shooting was difficult for you, but you kept it together and did what you had to. I never wanted this for my children, but Dante, I would be honored if you were to take over as my successor when the time comes."

"Wow; I don't know what to say." Dante responded.

"Just say you'll do it."

"Actually I came here to tell you…"

As Dante started to explain Johnny raced through the doorway. "Sonny, what do you know? Where is she?!"

"What are you talking about? Can't you see we're in the middle of something?"

"There was a prison break at Pentonville; both my father and Claudia are missing. Tell me you had nothing to do with this!"

"I had nothing to do with this. John, I swear I love your sister and if I thought breaking her out would be the best thing for her I would do it in a heartbeat, but until Ric tells me there's no chance for an appeal it is not my intention to put her on the run, and I certainly wouldn't be sitting in my living room while she was out there somewhere."

"Which means my father is behind this. Why? What could he possibly want with her? He never had any use for her before."

"Maybe the Monte hit rattled him more than we thought it did." Dante added his two cents.

"That doesn't explain why he would grab Claudia." Johnny commented.

Sonny picked up the phone to call Pentonville pissed that he wasn't the first person notified in the disappearance of his wife.

"How did you find out?" Dante questioned Johnny.

"There was an article on the front page of the paper about the break out, and I went down there this morning to check on Claudia. The warden I spoke to didn't have much information; Claudia wasn't in her cell at the time."

"When did this occur?" Dante asked.

"A little after midnight, they were in the process of rotating the staff. All I was told was that she should have been in her room, and there was no sign out otherwise."

"I want to know the names of everyone she spoke to yesterday!" Sonny screamed through the telephone. "What do you mean confidentiality? This is my wife!"

After being hung up on Sonny threw the cordless phone in his hand across the room which crashed against the wall splintering into pieces.

"I'm going down there." Sonny insisted. "Somebody is going to answer my questions."

"I already tried that." Johnny argued. "They didn't give me anything useful."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Dante asked succumbing to the fact that the conversation he wanted to have wasn't going to happen then.

"Yes; get Spinelli to access Zacchara bank records see if there's been any activity; purchasing of plane tickets."

"I can't do that." He replied hesitantly not wanting to piss off Sonny Corinthos more. "Spinelli is in Greece working on the Cassadine threat."

"What?! Mr. Jackal Damian Spinelli is still on _my _payroll give me one good reason why I was not notified of his leaving town, again!"

He wanted to reply that he was also under the employ of Samantha McCall who requested his services to clear up the mystery that sent his daughter out of town, but considering his mood thought better of that. "Is there anyone else I can call about this?"

"Bernie might be able to pull up some of the financial information." Sonny replied softly. "But it would help if we could pull up security feed from around the premises."

"You don't think the cops are already looking into that?" Johnny questioned.

"Do you really trust the cops?" Sonny questioned. "Besides Anthony and Claudia weren't the only prisoners that escaped last night."

"Now that doesn't sound good." Olivia said walking into the conversation. She was in the process of pouring Johnny a mug of coffee as he read the newspaper article. She figured that he would eventually find his way back to Sonny's. "How many of your enemies are loose?"

"I don't know they refused to give me names, but it sounds like most from the Zacchara regime are out including Joey Limbo."

"Actually I might know someone that could hack into the security feeds; I'll call Bernie on my way over." Dante replied before getting up to leave.

"Who's going to tell Jason?" Johnny asked looking directly at his boss.

"I don't see why this has anything to do with him." Sonny replied sourly.

"Really? Your enemies have broken out of Pentonville and you don't see just cause to let the person that sent most of them there know about it?" Olivia questioned.

"He knew the risks when he left the organization."

"Yes, and he's walking around town with your ex-wife and children; don't you dare let your jealously cloud the fact that not telling him puts them in danger." Olivia lectured him.

"You think it's jealousy?" Sonny laughed.

"Um… yeah." Johnny answered for her. "As much as you loved Carly, you knew that her heart always belonged to him. It was only a matter of time before he said the words and she was his again; children, your children, and all."

**********

Sam drove around the Island looking for a café with an internet connection. Nikolas sat shot gun in the rental car they picked up with Spinelli sat silently in the back trying to connect to any wave he could find. Occasionally he picked up something but for only brief periods of time.

"Should we try this one?" She questioned pulling up to a coffee shop that looked promising. There weren't any advertisements for Wi-Fi but once they walked through the door they saw other lap tops propped up. Spinelli found a corner to charge his battery and connect to the internet.

"Success!" Spinelli exclaimed in a whisper. Nikolas looked over his shoulder to see the security feed from their cemetery.

"Not too bad, it looks like there are only a couple cameras mostly monitoring the entrance." Nikolas remarked.

"Yes, but the seven feet tall fences with the built in electrical current may make our back door access a little complicated." Sam rebutted.

"Ooh." Spinelli raised his hand. "What if we commandeer a helicopter to fly over the grounds, release a ladder for the Goddess to scale down from?"

Sam looked over questionably. "We can call that plan B."

"And plan A?" Nik asked.

"We walk through the front entrance as Spinelli scrambles with the signal putting it on a temporary freeze."

"You can do that?" Nikolas questioned Spinelli.

Spinelli scoffed. "Any dabbler in security technology can conquer that task."

"Okay good, then tonight we keep watch for how rounds are made and we should be set for tomorrow evening." Sam reiterated the plan.

"Anyone else feel like this is way too easy?" Nikolas asked suddenly feeling apprehensive about it.

"Don't even think that." Sam warned him. "Everything is going to be fine; you and I will stay together while Spinelli is stationed here with the tracking feed. Once we get what we came for we will meet up and catch the jet out of here to be back in Port Charles before the stroke of midnight New Years Eve."

************

"Mom, what are you doing in here?" Morgan asked approaching Carly in Michael's room.

"I was putting Michael's laundry away. I thought it would be nice if I washed his sheets for him while he was out of town." She explained while she clutched on to his pillow.

"It's it his birthday today." Morgan commented. "And you are remembering his last one."

"Yeah." She admitted wiping away a tear. "I thought about making an appointment to talk to doctor Winters today; I've been meaning to for awhile, just with everything…"

"Can I go with?" Morgan requested.

"Sure, absolutely, if that's what you want. Morgan, how are you doing?"

"I'm scared." He said hugging her. "It seems like everything is finally going well; Michael is okay and we're hanging out more as brothers. I found out Dante really is my brother, which is awesome! You're happy with Jason, and now that Britni is born I don't have to worry so much about stressing you out."

"Is it this Cassadine thing? Because if you think that you would feel safer at the Island just let me know."

"No, it's not that. I agree that Krissy and Molly are probably in more danger from that then we are. Is just… When everything is going well that's when it falls apart."

"That's what you're worried about?"

Morgan nodded his head, and Carly realized just how harshly the choices in her life had affected her kids. Somehow she was able to handle crisis situations better than she was day-to-day life; after living with Sonny they were the norm for her. She realized that the night the train crashed under the tunnel in PC. She wanted better for her kids.

"I am so sorry, honey." She said cradling his head. "I never suggested you talking with Lainey because I didn't want you thinking that there was anything wrong with you. There's not; your ability to cope through all of this has been outstanding, but I will support you 100% if you feel the need to talk to someone."

"If I could just go with you this once." Morgan replied.

"Yeah, go get dressed and I'll make the call." She hugged him once more before letting him run off. "How much of that did you catch?"

"Most of it." Jason responded standing in the entrance.

"God, we should just move. Pack up all of our stuff now and head down to Florida."

"Carly…"

"I know, I'm being ridiculous. I'd find a way to mess that up too, but at least then it wouldn't be Sonny's business; bullets, kidnappings, hostage situations…"

Jason sat down next to her on the bed. "I've done a lot of horrible things in my life, and I hold myself responsible for most of the violence around here. But do you know why I looked up to Sonny? How I justified what I did?"

"You liked the endorphins you got from a good fire fight?"

Jason snickered at the answer. "Okay, partially, but I also saw the passion Sonny had for protecting the people he loved and the lengths he was willing to go to in order to keep drugs out of this town. I won't sugar coat it and say that we were the good guys, but…"

"He did try to keep his territory safe, and since he's been here the number of street gangs and illegal drug activity has plummeted. They should put that in the brochure."

*************

"Any news?" Mac questioned Lucky who was investigating the break out at Pentonville.

"In total six prisoners escaped, two have already been picked up and detained but they had no information on the whereabouts of the others." Lucky replied.

"Who is still out?"

"Anthony Zacchara, Claudia Corinthos, Joseph Limbo, and some guy sitting in a holding cell picked up recently on graffiti charges in Belton County."

"Graffiti, really? Have you gone through the video footage?" Mac asked.

"Thoroughly."

"And..?"

"At 12:13am when the alarm sounded every single camera on the premises shut off and took the eight and a half minutes to reboot. It had to have been an inside job; I've been able to speak to most of the staff there at the time. Right now my lead suspect is a security guard by the name of…" Lucky looked down to read his list. "Kerry Brutus, that's male, goes strictly by Brutus. I have his address here, was just about to make a house call."

"Good, bring Cruz with you."

Cruz followed Lucky out to his car as instructed. They had both been up since the call came in early that morning, after only about an hour of actual sleep.

"How are the kiddies doing?" Cruz asked Lucky looking up at his screen saver.

"They are doing great; spending some quality time with their Grandma Spencer in France."

"How about the girlfriend?" He made idol chatter to keep both awake.

"She's in Greece for a couple days helping my brother with a project." Lucky replied.

"Does that mean party at the house when we got off?"

"Are you kidding? I'm too old for that, when I get home I'm going straight for the Egyptian cotton, and here we are."

Lucky got out first with his badge in hand walking up to knock on the front door. "Brutus, this is Detective Spencer from the Port Charles Police Department here to ask you a couple of questions about the break out at Pentonville last night." He called in. "If you don't answer I do have the warrant to break down the door."

Lucky pounded on the door again. Cruz stepped out of the way drawing his weapon as Lucky prepared to kick the door in. They looked inside to see the place ransacked.

"Now this is curious." Cruz observed the scene. "I'm calling in for forensics."

Lucky walked through the place careful not to move anything around. "It looks to me that Mr. Brutus was in a hurry to hightail it out of here."

"Meaning he was definitely in on it?"

"Meaning he definitely had something to do with it."


	137. Chapter 137

Carly and Morgan were on their way out when they saw Sonny's limo pull up in the driveway.

"Do you want to say hi?" Carly asked her son before shutting the door beside her.

"No, that's okay." Morgan responded instead.

"Then put your seat belt on." She directed before pulling the car out of park and into reverse.

Sonny noticed his exes car leaving with his youngest inside; a pain hit as he realized they were leaving without so much as a greeting. He knew Morgan was still angry with him; the only reason he had anything to do with him on Christmas was because his siblings were in attendance. Johnny was right; he was jealous. Jason was living the life he had wanted with Carly, and was a better parent then he ever could be to his children.

"We need to talk." Sonny claimed on the doorstep. "Look, I know Carly isn't here. I just saw her take off, so can I please come inside for a moment?"

"What is this about?"

"I need to talk to you; there was a prison break at Pentonville last night."

Jason stepped aside allowing him access to the entry way. "Anyone we know amongst those who went missing?"

"Would I be here if they hadn't?" Sonny countered.

"Sonny, I'm not in the mood for games."

"Neither am I. Claudia and Anthony are both gone, and while I was on the phone asking for more information I'm pretty sure I overheard someone mention Joey Limbo disappeared as well."

"Are you kidding? Claudia wasn't even in prison for a week before there was a jail break…" Jason reacted.

"You don't think that Claudia was behind this!" Sonny argued.

"No, of course not. She's just some innocent little flower, my God Sonny, has this trick lobotomized your higher thought process? She's an opportunist, and instead of serving 25 years in prison she jumped on the opportunity to get out."

"Jason, you have no idea what you're talking about. Anthony is the person behind this, and for God knows what reason he snatched his daughter; probably as some sort of message to me. Hell, the last time he was free he had her strapped up to a bomb."

"So you came over here to tell me your marital woes? Or what? You want me to help you locate your wife? As far as I'm concerned the two of them can live out the rest of their existence on the run, and it's no skin off my back if they kill each other off in the process."

Sonny chuckled at the response; he knew it was a bad idea coming over. "Johnny and Olivia thought you might want to know that your enemies our out there; I'm not sure how many. Don't expect help from the organization if they come after you."

"If you are finished you can go." Jason replied callously. Once he heard the limo drive off Jason sunk onto the living room couch. He and Sonny had been at odds before, but had it gotten to the point where they refused each other aide. Heeding Sonny's warning Jason's next step was to dial Lucky's cell number.

***********

"Dante, what are you doing here?" Caitlyn questioned finding him in her office.

"You mentioned something about a hacker friend of yours from college." Dante explained.

"Yeah, my ex roommate Marnie. She's not nearly the ace that Spinelli is but has been known to crack the occasional high security code."

"Do you have her current number?"

"Yes, but I can only imagine she's home for break right now. Why?"

"Where's home?"

"Danbury, Connecticut. Again, I'm going to go with why?"

"Please don't get upset…" Dante started.

"Not a very good lead in; I'm just saying."

"There was a prison break. Anthony Zacchara, Claudia Corinthos, and who knows who else are missing. Spinelli, as you know, is in Greece and we need someone to look at the security cameras in the area to see if we can spot a get-away car taking off from the area."

"Are you telling me that the man that tried to have you killed from inside a prison cell is now free?" Caitlyn questioned terrified at the thought.

"I hadn't thought about it in those terms, but I suppose, yes. Although I think the focus has now turned to his daughter, and I don't know if his plan is to help her or hurt her. If you could just make that call for me."

Caitlyn didn't respond instead she flipped through the contacts list on her phone dialing when she got to Marnie's name.

"Thank you." Dante mouthed listening to the conversation as Caitlyn reiterated the favor over to her friend.

*************

"I have a 1 o'clock with Dr. Lainey Winters." Carly checked in at the nurse's station.

"It will be just a moment; she's just finishing up with her last appointment." The nurse explained.

"Hi Morgan. Are you enjoying your time off from school?" Nurse Nadine Crowell asked him.

"Yeah, Christmas has been good." He smiled half heartedly; he hadn't realized how nervous he could be waiting for an appointment with the doctor.

"Did you get everything you asked for?" The nurse engaged.

"Yep; that and more. Mom helped me go through my old video games that I wasn't playing anymore; we dropped those off at the pediatric unit." He explained.

"That's awesome; the kids there really enjoy those contributions."

"I'm glad."

"Well, I should probably get back to work, but it was good seeing you. How's your sister doing?"

"She's doing great. I can't wait until she starts talking." He confessed. "But, I won't keep you. It was nice seeing you too."

"Are you ready?" Carly asked her son as soon as the chipper nurse took off.

"Yeah." He followed her down the hall to Lainey's office. The room was comfortable; designed in such a way to promote a therapeutic setting.

"Is this where dad goes to talk about his bi-polar disorder?" Morgan asked his mom as they sat on the couch waiting for the doctor to come in.

"Yes; when he's not doing home visits." It was the decision of both Carly and Sonny to be completely honest with Morgan about his diagnosis knowing that there was a chance that it may be passed down to him; Sonny didn't want either Kristina nor Morgan to have to go through the shame he had felt in admitted to the problem. "Morgan, do you have any questions about your dad's illness?"

"Maybe one."

"What's that?" Lainey asked walking in. "If you don't mind me asking."

"How much of what dad does is because of the bi-polar and how much is because he's him?"

"Are you asking about the violence?" Carly questioned him.

Morgan nodded his head.

"That's a good question." Lainey validated him. "And correct me if I am wrong in assuming that you want to know how much anger you are allowed to have in your father and what it is okay to blame him for."

He nodded again not sure what else to say.

"Carly, it's good seeing you again. I'm glad you called and really glad I could fit you in."

"Me too." Carly replied. "I knew I had put a lot on Morgan's shoulders. Just the passed couple of months with the stroke, the divorce, Michael getting taken hostage, the trial… He told me that he doesn't trust himself to be happy."

"Is that true?" She asked Morgan directly.

"I just know it's not going to last; something always goes wrong, and it usually has something to do with dad. I don't understand why if Jason can leave the business why he can't?"

"Morgan, it's complicated." Carly attempted to explain.

"That's what you always say."

"Then let's start with the first question you asked." Lainey suggested. "You wanted to know how much of what your father does it guided by his illness, right? Your father has already given me permission to talk to you about this. Bi-polar is a mood disorder; whereas most of us experience normal good moods and bad moods when your father isn't properly medicated he can experience those to the point where he loses control of what he's feeling. He will do things and say things that he would consider in his right mind."

"Like when he shot mom while she was giving birth to me?"

"Exactly like that." Carly said holding his hand. "But he didn't go into the business because of that. When he was a kid, about your age he had a step father that hurt him a lot. He would force Sonny in the closet and lock him in there, and he felt like he had no control; he couldn't do anything and he couldn't fight back. When he was a teenager a Joe Scully gave him the opportunity to fight back and he took it."

"That's how he got in?"

This time it was Carly nodding her head. "You and I both know the good in your father. He loves you, and he never wanted you to experience the things he had growing up. Both he and I have made a lot of bad decisions, and unfortunately you and your brother have had to pay for them, but there is something in Sonny that craves that power and because of it he can't get out."

"And even knowing all of this, Morgan. It's okay for you to be mad at him. That's what I want you to take from this. Just because you know why doesn't mean you have to understand. You can be mad at your dad, your mom, Michael. Your mom is right; you have been through a lot in a very short amount of time."

"Mom, are you upset that you had me?" Morgan asked with tears brimming in his eyes.

"What? No! How could you think that?"

"When Michael got hurt, you told me I couldn't see dad. You blamed him for what happened, and you were mad at yourself for ever being with him. Even know you said you made mistakes… If being with dad was a mistake that means I'm a mistake."

"No! Never!" She insisted. "You are one the best things that ever happened to me, and if you think I fought to bring Britni into this world, that's nothing… and I would have done it all over again just to see that smile."

Morgan smirked as she said that. "I know about the shooting…" He commented pressing her for more.

"I'm not sure you want to hear this bud. Let's just say that your mother will jump through flaming hoops for her kids."

"Oh know, that sign there says that this is the truth zone." He pointed to a poster.

"I fell through the ice and caught hypothermia, and then risked a stroke to keep the doctors from giving me medicine that could hurt you. I was kidnapped and trapped in a panic room where I almost electrocuted myself trying to give away my location. The moment I was released from that I was taken hostage again on a yacht where I went into premature labor, and fought the doctors from giving me a c-section, and then when I actually did go into labor I was shot in the temple."

"It is one hell of a smile." Morgan replied.

She patted his head. "Yeah, you get it from your father."

************

"What can I help you with?" Lucky asked pulling up to the house on Harborview Ave.

"How much information can you give me about the prison break?" Jason requested. "Sonny was just here saying Zacchara took off his daughter ; and that there might be more where that came from. If there are people out there looking to settle the score with me; given the fact that I am now not protected under the organization, I really need to know."

"Two of the six were caught less than two after their escape. I haven't heard anything about the whereabouts of Zacchara or Claudia but we're on it. My guess is that Joey was key in their abetting, and the only other prisoner that got out was on some minor graffiti charge."

"Okay, thank you." Jason offered. From the sound of it, at least for the time being his family was safe. He really hadn't had much in the dealings with Limbo, and although he couldn't be certain Zacchara wouldn't come for him he needed to ascertain safe harbor first and chances were that would be far from Port Charles.

"When do you plan on telling my cousin?" Lucky asked him. After coming back from the Brutus house he was given leave for the day; Mac told him to home to get some sleep. "You know, that they woman guilty of shooting her son is now roaming free somewhere?"

"Do I have to?" Jason laughed.

"Jason Morgan, are you scared?"

"Kind of. She just got through that fricken trial…"

"What aren't you telling me? Carly is okay, right? She came back with a clean bill of health that's what she said; that's what _you_ said." Lucky pointed out.

Jason nodded. "Yes, from all the tests that have been run her blood work looks good, and the bleeding has stopped. She is on blood pressure medication to help keep her stabilized in the event of undue stress, but she's not cured; she never will be."

"Do we know where this ZBT came from?" Lucky asked.

"Chronic hypertension, um… somehow the latest pregnancy triggered the onset, but it sounds like her past trauma caught up with her."

"And it just doesn't end; Helena is out there somewhere and possibly a Cassadine more wacko than her, now Zacchara and Claudia, and who knows what kind of revenge Claudia could be seeking." Lucky pondered.

"Don't forget Jerry Jacks…" Jason added; he was always in the back of Jason's mind. He was extremely uncomfortable with the way he packed up and left the last time.

"You know, I thought I knew exactly what I was doing, what I wanted when I pulled him back the last time, but now Jerry is free and Claudia has escaped and I don't know if it was worth it. Sam is in more danger than ever, and Carly… well, like you said, she managed to get through trial. I should go before I say something very un-policeman-like."

"As in hypothetically you should have shot him dead when you had the chance?" Jason conferred.

Lucky snickered. "Hypothetically." He agreed before taking off.


	138. Chapter 138

In her conversation with her former roommate Caitlyn found out that Marnie had been staying with her boyfriend for the last couple of days in Port Charles. With that revelation she invited the girl over with the incentive of a pizza party while they scoured the surveillance videos.

"Ham and pineapple; just like the good old days." Marnie sat down next to the coffee table admiring the view.

"It's been way too long." Caitlyn commented.

"Tell me about it; you hook up with a guy and all of the sudden our weekly girls night gets thrown off the table, and don't get me started on the fact that I found out two days after you got out of the hospital that you were shot, by Steven Carter of all people."

"Weekly? More like every couple weeks to a month; this is not all my fault we started drifting when you and Tai got together six months ago, and I'm sorry about that whole hospital thing. After finding out my brother was alive I couldn't really focus on anything else."

"You have a brother?" Marnie questioned.

"You mean she neglected to bring up that point with you too?" Dante questioned coming into the room.

"Dante/Marnie, Marnie/Dante." She gestured the introductions.

"Oh… you're forgiven." Marnie whispered over to Caitlyn.

"I know, right?" Caitlyn giggled.

"So, Caitlyn tells me you're a hacker?" Dante questioned.

"Let me guess you were expecting ratty hair and thick eye glasses?" Marnie questioned.

"No! Well, maybe a little." He replied; he wasn't expecting a flawless, size zero, with ancestry from Thailand. "I'm sorry; don't listen to me just do whatever it was that you were going to do."

"He's completely computer stupid." Caitlyn explained while she set up her laptop next to her friends and connected both to the wireless network.

"So you know what I'm about to do is completely illegal." Marnie forewarned.

"Yeah, not exactly an issue." Caitlyn replied, and as she did Johnny came through the door with yet another laptop.

"Wait, is that?" Marnie questioned getting a good look.

"Yep." Dante answered.

"Who exactly are we looking for? And if this is to abet in some sort of mob hit can I back out of it now?" Marnie questioned before hacking into the camera's facing the roads surrounding the prison.

"We're looking for my sister, and I promise you that the information will not be used to kill anybody." Johnny replied to the concern.

"Well, that's good enough for me. Do we know what kind of car to look out for?"

"Not a clue." Dante replied.

"That's going to make this more interesting. Um… our best bet is to find them entering the vehicle which given the possible exit points means that if I can get a good image of the North parking lot we should be able to see something."

"How is it that you know the Pentonville layout?" Dante asked her.

"Criminal justice major." She explained.

"But I thought…"

"Oh this? Nah, I do this for fun. Okay, Dante if you can take this monitor and keep watch." She scooted Caitlyn's computer towards him, and another towards Johnny. "You take this angle, and I will see what I can find out what your sister was up to yesterday. What was her name again?"

"Claudia. Claudia Zacchara- Corinthos."

"Wasn't she the…?" Marnie stopped herself before finishing the thought.

"What do you want from me?" Caitlyn asked her.

"I want you to pour us some So-Co and Dr. Pepper, and don't tell me that you don't have any."

"Would I do that?" Caitlyn asked her on the way to the liquor cabinet to grab the Southern Comfort. Marnie had introduced her to that combination her junior year at a party, and that night was the drunkest she had even been without getting sick; she considered it her 'safe' drink.

She placed four glasses out for them. Johnny took one sip before setting it down.

"Wow, I think looking at this drink gave me a cavity."

"I suppose it is kind of sweet, huh?" Caitlyn responded sitting down between the boys. "Are you seeing anything?"

"Yes, but nothing good." Johnny replied.

"What do you mean?" Marnie questioned.

"Look at the time stamp." Johnny repositioned the monitor. "12:20….. 12:20….. 12:20, oh, and now 12:29."

"Was there any cars that pulled up before time stopped?" Dante questioned.

"No, and there about three that disappeared during those nine minutes." Caitlyn observed.

"You mentioned they were rotating staff, right?" Dante asked Johnny recalling the conversation that morning.

"Yeah; are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Johnny asked the group.

"Only if you're thinking that one of the staff members were involved in setting up the jail break. Marnie can you get into the PCPD database and cross reference a couple license plates?" Caitlyn followed.

"Which ones?"

"AQS 764, JTP 851, and GGY 498." Dante responded getting a good look.

After minutes of typing and finishing her drink Marnie pulled up the information they were waiting for. "Um… there is an Elliot Lennon, Joyce Randall, and Kerry Brutus. How do we narrow it down from there?"

"Have you ever worked at Pentonville?" Dante asked her.

"I did an internship there." Marnie replied.

"How did you clock in?"

"Computerized thumb print… oh!" It was about a half an hour before Marnie was able to step over the security codes in order to hack into the employee time clock records.

"So?" Johnny questioned after finishing his third drink.

"There was only one that didn't sign out, and that same one has yet to sign in at any point today."

All of them looked at her expectantly.

"Oh, right, Mr. Brutus. The car you are looking for is GGY-498, but if he dies tomorrow this is not my fault." She commented a little tipsy.

Johnny didn't wait for her to finish her sentence before he was on the phone with Corinthos foot soldiers ordering them to locate the car.

"Is there anything else you need before I ask my boyfriend to pick me up?"

"Only if you can hack into the security feed at the international airport." Dante responded figuring by this time the car probably wasn't going to do any good.

"Yeah, I don't think so. You get caught hacking into that and they deem you a terrorist and all those Patriot Laws go into effect. But I do have a little more information for you if you're curious. Apparently Brutus was not the only employee that didn't punch out last night."

"I'm sure that others just got caught up giving their statements to the cops." Caitlyn replied.

"Maybe, but it's curious that she's one of the only people that Claudia saw that day."

"What?" Johnny questioned hanging up on the person he was on the phone with.

"Yeah, apparently your sister spent the better half of the day at the nurse's office with a Nurse Stella McCartney who never signed out. I can try to locate an address and phone number if you want?"

"Do it." Johnny responded.

************

"Can I borrow yours? I'm getting nothing from this." Nikolas whined to his cousin.

"I gave you the choice between binoculars and the monocular." Sam argued

"You never told me the monocular came with night vision." He countered.

"Shhh…." She hushed him watching as the nights guardsmen went out for another tour of the grounds. Nikolas looked at his watch and wrote down the current time.

"That was exactly on the hour, again. I think it is safe to say…" He started.

"There routine is going to get them into a shit load of trouble?" Sam interrupted. He wasn't going to put it as eloquently as she had. From dusk to dawn the routine had been a twenty minute search every two hours starting on the hour mark. Which meant they had an hour and forty minutes to get in, dig up the grave, get a bone fragment and leave before being detected.

"Should we call it a night?" Nikolas suggested still feeling the jet lag from the day before.

"Yeah, go ahead, I'll be right behind you." She replied. Spinelli was already inside tuckered out on an air mattress.

"Tell Lucky I say hi." He responded before heading inside.

She hadn't heard from him all day, and didn't want to go to sleep before saying good night. Although when he picked up Lucky sounded about as tired as she felt.

"Is everything okay?" Sam questioned.

"Sorry, yeah, I just took a nap. How are you doing?" Lucky replied groggily.

"It's fine; we're still doing the boring stuff you know sitting and waiting and surveying."

"Well I am all for that if it means being extra cautious."

"What about you? Since when do you take nap times?"

"Since I was called into work in the middle of the night. There was a prison break at Pentonville, and yeah, you guessed it both Zacchara's are gone. You want to do me a favor and swing by Milan on your way home? Just for fun."

"I would if I thought for one second that Claudia would be stupid enough to hide out there."

"I guess it is a little too obvious, but maybe that's the beauty of it." Lucky countered.

"I guarantee you she is not in Milan." Sam replied. "Lucky are you sure everything is okay over there? You sound… off."

"I'm tired, I'm frustrated. I am sick of trying to do the right thing and then paying for it later. You know what's sad is that I don't even care that Claudia is missing. Good riddance. We wanted her put away for some kind of justice; not because she was a threat. Now Zacchara is gone, and one of his most trusted foot soldiers went with him."

"I won't agree that Claudia isn't a threat, but I understand what you are saying. Somehow it nullifies us hunting down Jerry Jacks, but like you said good riddance, you know, she's condemning herself to a life on the run, and if she gets picked up she's looking at even more time."

"I suppose you're right. Tomorrow I'll follow up on some loose ends, but chances out they fled the PCPD jurisdiction a long time ago." Lucky replied. "I'm sorry if I'm curt. I love you, and I can't wait to see you."

"I love you, too. Goodnight Lucky." She responded before hanging up.

**********

"What did Sonny want?" Carly asked Jason once Morgan was tucked in. Britni was wrapped in her arms sucking on her bottle.

"Carly I think you should sit down."

"I hate when people say that." She responded but did as he asked anyway.

"Glass of wine?" Jason suggested holding up a bottle.

"Okay, now you are just scaring me. Come on, Jase, what did Sonny want?"

"He came here to tell me that both Anthony and Claudia escaped prison last night. The police have been on it all day, but there is no sign of either one of them. Carly, are you alright?" He asked watching her breath deeply.

"She's almost finished, I should bring her upstairs." Carly replied in shock; too calm for Jason to feel comfortable. She left the room to put her daughter to bed and he followed her to Michael's bedroom.

"Why hasn't call me, Jason, he should have called." Carly cried in a panic holding out her phone.

"Whoa, come here." He brought her in to his chest. "He probably just got busy on the slopes. Here let me."

Jason dialed the number waiting impatiently for Michael to pick up.

"Mom?" Michael questioned noticing the number on his caller ID. Jason handed it over to Carly.

"Happy birthday baby."

"Come on, mom." He whined at the baby comment. "I'm sorry I didn't call earlier but I was out teaching Alyssa how to snow board most of the morning and then this afternoon went snowmobiling with some kids we met last night. It's been so fun; thank you so much for this."

"You're welcome; I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

"Michael, the candles are melting." Carly heard in the background.

"I'll talk to you later, mom." Michael said before hanging up.

"I love you, sweetheart." She replied to the dial tone. "He's fine, having a ball."


	139. Chapter 139

"How's our patient doing, doc?" Anthony smiled at the woman in front of him.

"I'm not a doctor. You probably should have checked the credentials before having your goon here snatch me during the run." Stella replied back coldly.

"I have confidence that you can handle your task; however, if you disagree I suppose I have little use for you." Anthony responded.

Stella sighed at the direct threat. "Your daughter would be doing a whole lot better if you could instruct your pilot to ease off on the turbulence; she hasn't been able to keep anything down all day."

"We should be landing soon." Joey informed her.

"I let her know." Stella returned to the restroom of the private jet to find Claudia sitting against the wall breathing deeply. There was a seaweed green hue to her complexion as sweat beaded on her forehead. "Take some water." She advised.

"Tell me you weren't in on this." Claudia replied shaky.

"No, I wasn't." Stella insisted as she dabbed a wet rag to Claudia's face. "Apparently your father got to Brutus, who interestingly enough had a commercial flyers license."

"I think he could have used a few more hours of training." Claudia weakly teased.

"I was told that we will be landing shortly; just hang on." Claudia nodded before leaning over and retching yet again. Stella felt helpless as she rubbed the woman's back whispering encouragements to her. The only time Claudia wasn't throwing up was when she got in brief periods of sleep on the bathroom floor. When she could Stella attempted to eavesdrop on conversation between Anthony and Joey; their destination was to a small town near Madrid. Joey had close ties there and identities for each of them were being forged.

The prison break was something Anthony had brewing for awhile; he had hoped to gain some control over the Corinthos-Zacchara Empire before then, but Johnny appeared to have no interest in taking control. After the failed hit on Dante and the death of Monte he felt his window of opportunity closing in on him and then that day he found out Claudia was pregnant with the heir of both organizations. Anthony wasn't going to let Sonny be sole parent; he was going to raise the kid to be the leader Johnny should have been if he was in his right mind while he son was reaching adulthood.

***********

"What in the world is that?" Dante questioned as Caitlyn walked through the door with a little tan dog with curly hair and floppy ears.

"I assume it's some kind of poodle mix; they're mixing the poodle with everything these days." Caitlyn replied.

"Where did it come from?"

"We broke into Nurse McCartney's place; there was no sign of her and her messages hadn't been checked for the last 24 hours." Johnny explained following Caitlyn in.

"And this poor little dog needed to be feed and walked and taken out for other reasons." Caitlyn added.

"We can only hope that her owner is alive and well and taken hostage by the ol' man." Johnny commented.

"But until we find her the dog needs to be taken care of; I'm just afraid that if the cops find her abandoned she'll end up at the pound." Caitlyn explained.

"So we think this nurse is an innocent bystander?" Dante questioned. "Why would Anthony do that? Why add one more person they need to hide?"

"Marnie is looking into that. The site for the medical records was too secure so she's going in the old fashioned way." Caitlyn answered.

"And that is?"

"With a swipe key."

"Since when did criminal justice interns have swipe keys with access to patient medical records?" Dante asked.

"She doesn't have access to patient medical records; she has access to get into the building and is hoping that Ethan can procure the equipment necessary to get into the medical records from there."

"Yeah, it wasn't my idea to get Ethan Lovett involved." Johnny replied seeing the look of unease on Dante's face.

"You're right." She commented on an earlier conversation. "I doubt that whatever is found in those records is going to help locate your sister, but it might help explain why and/or how she was taken. For all we know it was a scheme between your father and this nurse to get Claudia out of the cell in time for the prison break. At the very least it may exonerate Claudia if they are found."

"Wow, you're really getting into this." Dante observed his girlfriends enthusiasm of the detecting process.

"I guess I am. I know that a lot of people in this town probably think she deserves what she gets or believe that she was in on the plan to break out, but Johnny, I can look at your face and know that's not true. And the guy that has her hostage is the same guy that tried to kill you." She said looking towards Dante.

"And hurt you instead." Dante replied.

"Besides it is kind of fun." She added after a couple seconds of awkward silence.

***********

"What are you working on?" Carly questioned Jason who was staring at Morgan's laptop.

"Trying to look up financial records." He replied. "Apparently when you live with Spinelli long enough you learn by osmosis."

"Huh, and I thought the term was modeling, but sure, osmosis works." Carly teased. "I guess the real question is why are you looking up the Zacchara financial records? Are you actually trying to help Sonny?"

"I never thought it would ever get to the point where seeing Sonny would make my blood boil the way it did yesterday. Maybe someday I will forgive him; or at least try to understand, but he was right. On some level Anthony and Joey are enemies of mine, and in order to keep the people I care about safe they should be dealt with."

"What about Claudia? If you find her before Sonny does…?"

Jason took a while to respond, almost too long. "We decided to let the court make the verdict because of the people that care about her. That hasn't changed; however if she does anything further to risk the safety of the people under my protection the old rules cease to apply."

"Have you come up with anything?" Carly asked gazing over his shoulder.

"No, not yet. I'm certain this is a dead end. Unfortunately Zacchara is too smart to leave paper trails." He replied. "Which means unless you have any better ideas my day consists of watching over you, Morgan, and Britni."

"Mom called to say we should be getting snow today so my big plan consisted of hanging out and watching movies. Oh, and I might have invited Lucas over."

"It's your place you can invite whomever you please." Jason reacted to what appeared to be her asking for permission after the fact.

"I'm hoping at some point you're going to see it as our place; would it help if we redecorated? I thought I liked the yellow but now I'm getting this bumble bee feel and I'm just not sure it works."

Jason snickered at her attempt. "You can redecorate all you want and I will love whatever you do. Well, unless you make it all pink…"

"Don't worry; I know how much you love that." She grinned. "Or maybe we should move back to the old cottage. Nah, too small, and too many Robin memories."

"I know what you're thinking, and I don't have a problem with the fact that this was designed to be for you and Jax; what I do have an issue with is that his name is still on the paperwork but tomorrow that will be taken care of."

"That's right; tomorrow the paperwork will be signed."

"Yep, and then I'm taking you out to celebrate." Jason hinted.

"Really? Where?"

"It's a surprise, but I might as well tell you now that I hired Caitlyn to handle the party. All you have to do is get back here and dressed by eight o'clock and a limo will pick you up."

"I knew you were up to something." She replied before kissing him. "And just to show you how much I trust you I am not going to bother you all day to tell me more."

"That's good, 'cause you're not getting anything else." He decreed.

"Nope." Morgan agreed coming into the room. "Are you done with my computer?"

"Yeah, thanks." Jason offered.

"Wait, you know what's going on too? Hey, Morgan, come sit on your mamma's lap? You want some ice cream?"

"Um… that's not going to work, but it's good to see you in a good mood today. I thought I heard Brit moving around. Do you want me to bring her down?"

"Sure; are you offering to change her dirty diaper too?" Carly questioned.

"No." He replied surely. "But I'll bring the changing mat."

"So helpful." Carly kidded to Jason.

"He has been a great big brother."

"Yes, he has." She agreed.

************

"I love you too, mom. Talk to you soon." Lulu said hanging up with Laura as Lucky walked into the room. "You didn't want to talk to her, did you?"

"Is that a question or a statement? No, it's okay, we should probably head out."

"Do you mind if we stop by the coffee shop? I have to pick up a couple orders before going in."

"Might I suggest telling Maxie and Clarice to pick up their own frappe cappuccino whatever?" Lucky requested.

"That's part of my job description and I would be more than willing to do it on my own…"

"Not until we figure out what's going on with the Cassadine threat. You are not to be alone, ever. We've already agreed to this."

"Speaking out which how is that going over in Greece? And if it's not good, lie to me. The last thing I want to do is put Maxie in a bad mood first thing in the morning."

"No problems thus far; just figuring out how to gain access to the cemetery without getting caught. The plan is to go in tonight with hopes of being back before New Years. Luckily the time change works in our favor coming back."

"That is good news. When do you think it'll be safe for Cam and Jake to return home?" Lulu asked the question that her nephew posed to her.

"I hope soon." He replied non-committal. "If we're getting that coffee we should leave now."

Lulu stood up from the kitchen table to rinse off her cereal bowl before putting it in the dishwasher and throwing a coat on. "Did you hear there is supposed to be snow today?"

"I did; which means I'm probably going to be in the office late. Do you have a ride home?" He asked as they loaded into the car.

"Maxie said she would do it; Matt is working a double today so he can have tomorrow night off. Oh yeah, I'm not coming home tomorrow."

"Lulu…"

"The deal was that I wasn't going to be alone, and I won't be." Lulu interrupted.

"No, the rule was that you weren't going to be alone during daylight; you were going to be under the protection of the PCPD after dark which is why I had you move in here in the first place."

"Lucky it's my first New Years with my boyfriend; and due to holidays, work schedules, and crazy extended relatives threatening to murder people we haven't been able to celebrate our one month anniversary."

"You can do dinner and dancing at the MetroCourt where I can keep an eye on you; and I'll even promise to leave you guys alone."

"That's great but I am planning to take that next step in our relationship, and I'm quite certain you don't want to play chaperone for that."

"Ewe, no, and no! You're too young to even be thinking about that."

"Too young? I'm 21 and you know for a fact…"

"That you learned from past experience and were going to wait until you were ready for that level of commitment." Lucky interrupted.

"I am ready for that level of commitment with Matt; and I have learned from my mistakes." She clarified.

"But you're not ready to be a parent." He argued.

"That's why they have birth control pills. Lucky, you can have one of your friends circling the complex but this is going to happen." She replied in her resolute Spencer tone; which was widely known to be indubitable. She was going to find a way even if it meant putting herself in harms way.

"What happened to the good old days when I could get away with 'because I said so'?"

"Did that ever work?" Lulu questioned.

"Yes; before you turned ten."


	140. Chapter 140

Once the plane landed a van pulled up to bring Anthony, Joey, Claudia, Stella, and Brutus to the summer house of Joey's closest cousin.

"I have the information you asked me for." His cousin said handing Joey an envelope full of new identification materials. "La hacienda is cincuenta kilometros from just about anything. Teresita stocked the fridge this morning. You should be good for awhile."

"Gracias Mateo; I really do appreciate this."

"De nada. You have no idea how happy I was to hear you found your way out of the pokey. I can't tell you how honored I am to meet you senor Zacchara. From everything Jose here has told me you are practically familia."

"We appreciate both your hospitality and your discretion." Zacchara replied. Stella sat quietly in the back while Claudia used her lap as a pillow to sleep.

"I can assure you that Teresita and I are the only ones aware of your true identities; y confio mi esposa con mi vida." Mateo replied mixing his Spanish in with the English. The Latin languages were close enough for Anthony to understand the meaning.

"Muy bueno." Anthony replied.

"And you didn't tell mi madre about this?" Joey asked in concern. Joey and Mateo's mothers were sisters; his mom disowned him when she found out about his profession. It had been years since they had spoken to each other.

"Ni una sola palabra. Last she heard you were sentenced to fifteen years in a prison in New York." Mateo confirmed.

The cousins continued catching up as they drove through the Spanish countryside. Stella looked out the window trying to visually key herself to anything that would give her an idea of an actual location, but after miles of twists and turns on gravel roads she could honestly say she was completely lost.

"The cover was pretty easy." Mateo explained. "It's normal for extended family to be living together. I kept the relationship between Zacchara and his daughter the same with you, Jose, as her husband and father of the expected child. Teresita figured if we dyed the nurse's hair brunette we could pass her off as another daughter with Brutus here as her novio."

"Sounds good to me." Brutus smiled looking back at his pretend girlfriend.

Stella cringed. Where at one point in their professional relationship she may had considered the security guard attractive, she lost her taste for him when he turned out to be working for the bad guy. She promised her self to follow along only long enough to get herself, Claudia, and the unborn child to safety.

************

Marnie rushed through the door as soon as Caitlyn opened it.

"Oh, what a cute puppy?" Marnie commented as she was greeted by the lively mutt. "What's her name?"

"According to the tag her name is Samantha Alison McCartney, but goes by Ali." Caitlyn explained.

"You figured that out how?" Dante questioned.

"Look." She pointed out the tags. "The identification tag has the whole name listed, but these other ones just have Ali. Besides that's what she responds to when called. Watch… here Ali! Okay, so apparently she's preoccupied with the new person. Damn ADHD mutt."

"Not to sound like the insensitive scrooge, but what did you find out?" Johnny asked impatiently awaiting any information.

"Um… well, there was definite cause for her visit to the nurse's station."

"What does that mean? Is she sick?" Johnny prodded.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Seriously, just say it." Dante urged.

"Okay, um…" She replied looking to Johnny. "Congratulations, you're going to be an uncle!"

"Whoa, what?" Dante reacted first still not used to the idea of being a Corinthos spawn himself.

"Oh yeah, well, I suppose that makes you big brother."

"Are you sure?" Johnny questioned.

"It was all in the nurse's notes. Claudia was taken to the nurse's office after collapsing in her prison cell. She complained of recent late night nausea and dizziness throughout the day. A pregnancy test was done and came out positive. She was given a prescription for a prenatal vitamin and was given access to the nurse's office when feeling ill. She returned that evening when symptoms returned. Interesting fun fact; the missing security guard brought her both times."

"Do we think this pregnancy is real or were Brutus and Stella working together to get Claudia in the office at the time of the prison break? Based on everything I've heard it's certainly possible that Zacchara would drug his own daughter to feign signs of a pregnancy." Caitlyn posed the question.

Johnny walked away from the conversation in the entry to sit on the couch to consider the possibilities.

"No matter what it does sound like Claudia had nothing to do with planning the escape." Marnie offered.

"Where's Ethan?" Caitlyn asked Marnie in a side conversation.

"He requested to be dropped off back at the Drake's. Apparently Ms. Devane has been keeping watch of Mrs. Drake at the hospital so Mercedes is watching the kid during the day. Ethan explained all this in the car; not that I know these people."

"What are you thinking?" Dante questioned Johnny. Wondering how much of this information should be brought up to Sonny.

"I'm thinking Caitlyn brought up some good points. This Stella woman is a nurse practitioner which means she'd be privy to medication that could mirror the symptoms of morning sickness and it does seem a little soon after the miscarriage to be pregnant again."

"But?" Dante questioned.

"It explains what dad wants with her. He wants an heir to inherit the organization, and Claudia is just collateral damage."

***********

Carly laid on the couch cuddling up to Jason as Morgan attempted to find a movie they all could agree on. Britni was laying comfortably on her floor mat grabbing at the rings over her.

"What about this one?" Morgan held up a cover.

"No; not really in the mood." Carly replied.

"Mom, you love Armageddon and this is the third movie in a row that you have said you weren't in the mood for." Morgan argued. "Jason was even willing to do a romantic comedy."

"I know a movie she's always in the mood for." Lucas said walking in from the cold. After slipping his shoes off he joined Morgan at the DVD cabinet. "Here."

"I forgot all about that one." Morgan replied before holding it up for his mom to see.

Carly nodded her head yes. "As long as it's okay with Jason."

Jason shrugged. "I actually don't think I've seen that one."

"Ooh 'Newsies' virgin? Put it in Morgan." Carly instructed.

Morgan put in the DVD; Lucas was right he must have seen 'Newsies' a hundred times with his mom over the years. It was a movie both of them could watch over and over again, and since Michael wasn't a huge fan of the movie it was something they could share.

"Do you have any popcorn here?" Lucas asked his sister.

Carly peered over with a look of 'do you know who you're talking to?' "Second shelf of the pantry." She answered. "There's regular kettle, caramel, and white cheddar."

"I vote white cheddar." Morgan spoke up.

"White cheddar it is." Lucas replied.

************

"How's the case going?" Mac asked sitting at Lucky's desk.

"I've taken everyone's statement that I can find." Lucky replied.

"What do you mean that you can find?" Mac questioned.

"Besides Mr. Brutus the nurse on duty that night is also AWOL. She's not answering her house number and she hasn't reported to work since the prison break. Oh, and she's also reportedly the last person to have contact with Mrs. Zacchara-Corinthos."

"Lovely." Mac rolled his eyes. "Accomplice or hostage situation?"

"No idea. I got the number of her emergency contact; Mrs. Edith McCartney, paternal grandmother in a nursing home in Albany. The staff says she's been in mental decomposition since her son passed away. The poor woman thought I was her great nephew, and after a half hour of convincing her I wasn't she tried setting me up with her granddaughter."

"So nothing useful?"

"No; according to her Stella is still a nursing student in Pittsburg. I thought it was common knowledge to update the emergency contact form once the person was no longer capable of handling an emergency."

"Did her coworkers have any information?" Mac took another angle.

"She was a great worker; kind, professional, punctual. Not showing up without calling is not extremely uncharacteristic. But nobody really knew anything about her personally; one thought she owned a dog." Lucky explained.

"Do we have information on what Claudia was doing in her office at midnight?"

"I would need a judge to sign off on a warrant to search her medical files." Lucky replied.

"Okay, let's get you that and one to search her residence. Oh, and did you follow up on Limbo?"

"I had Cruz speak with his mother in Spain; apparently he got an earful about how pathetic the American legal system was, but no, no idea of where he could have gone. But if you want some good news," Lucky said sarcastically, "Mr. Brutus has his pilot's license. His sister got an urgent call from him saying that he had to leave town for awhile, and his car was found at an airport in Buffalo."

"Any record of take off and landing of an unauthorized jet with four passengers?"

"It was a military airport; apparently for security purposes flights are erased from records all the time. With all the comings and goings the crewmen were unable to give me a destination." Lucky answered; not the answer Mac was looking for, but an answer nonetheless.

"Hats off to Zacchara when he wants to disappear he sure knows how to do it. Let me talk to the judge; are you going to be around if the weather gets bad?"

"That was the plan." Lucky responded.

Mac nodded and started walking away. "Hey Spencer, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate your diligence. I know there's a lot on your plate at the moment."

"It's a good distraction."

"Tell me about it." Mac concurred feeling helpless over the Cassadine situation.


	141. Chapter 141

"Look at it coming down." Morgan said pointing out the window.

"Better tonight than tomorrow." Lucas joined him.

"Don't tell me you know what Jason has planned, too." Carly replied as she fed Britni.

"No, should I? I was talking about Joey driving in to town for the party at the Grille; don't tell me you're not going?" He asked his sister.

"I have no idea where I'm going." She replied looking over to Jason who was again checking out Morgan's computer for any information he could find on the whereabouts of Anthony Zacchara.

"Mom's not a big fan of surprises." Morgan whispered to him.

"You don't have to tell me." Lucas replied.

"I just don't like to be left out of the planning process."

"Yeah, but mom, your plans never really go well."

Jason attempted to not snicker hoping that the others would buy that he wasn't paying attention to the conversation. He only had another day to keep her in the dark and wasn't leaving Morgan alone long enough in that time to let it slip.

"That's not true." Carly argued inwardly trying to come up with a plan of hers that went off without a hitch. "Britni's Christening… planned the whole thing and it went beautifully."

"Okay, that's one, but I bet for every one plan gone right I can name three that went wrong." Lucas countered.

She took a moment to think about that. "I've just decided I don't want to play this game anymore. How about another movie?"

"As long as you're the one picking it out." Morgan commented.

************

"We're in place; let me know when the coast is clear." Sam instructed over the cell. Spinelli was in the café on the other end loading up the schematics for the cemetery's security system. After punching a few keys he replied back. "System geared up."

"Does that mean…?"

"Proceed onward." He replied.

Sam waved Nikolas to go with her. Both were dressed in a black long sleeved t-shirt with black pants. Sam carried a backpack with supplies leaving Nikolas to hold onto the shovel.

"Plot number H37." Nikolas instructed holding out a compass. "It should be approximately 46 paces NE."

"Over there." Sam replied pointing out a plot with a lavish floral arrangement. "I visited this afternoon."

"That's what you were doing?"

"Aside from just trying to get away from you and Spinelli bickering, yes." She said making the final steps to Valentin's marker. She came wearing a widow's veil earlier in the day wanting to leave something big enough to give them a clear trail so they didn't spend most of their time searching for the plot.

"It astounds me that he wasn't put to rest at the family mausoleum." Nikolas responded looking down at the tombstone of what may have been his uncle.

"Please; Mikkos' illegitimate child? Helena wouldn't allow that. Besides we don't know that the man is even dead."

"Or a Cassadine." Nikolas reminded himself. "What now?"

"Now you dig."

"Me?" Nikolas questioned again.

"Must I quote one of my all-time favorite writers? 'Sorry, but I'm an old-fashioned gal. I was raised to believe that men dig up the corpses and women have the babies.'"

"Hemmingway? Hawthorne? Poe?" Nikolas questioned the reference.

"Whedon." Sam replied.

"I don't know…"

"You wouldn't; just dig." She instructed. He did as instructed; and as asked Sam captured a few photos on her cell. Once the hole got was started Sam grabbed the spade from her backpack and assisted.

************

"This Teresita is quite the cook; I brought you some sopa de frijoles." Stella offered to Claudia sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Thanks, I'm famished." She replied as it seemed her stomach finally settled. "When did you go brunette?"

"When it became part of the cover story. We're sisters, by the way."

"Really? I always wanted one." Claudia grinned.

"Me too." Stella concurred. Her mother had passed shortly after delivery due to a bad case pneumonia. Her father and grandmother raised her, but he never seemed to have the ambition to go out and meet someone new.

"Stella, I am so sorry that you got involved in all of this. I promise I will find you a way out." Claudia offered.

"Your father wanted someone around to look after you and your child, and I am happy to be of assistance in that capacity. I am not going anywhere unless we both can break free. My thought is to play along for the time being. The less we fight it the more comfortable they will be in taking us out and then we can become more familiar with our surroundings. Nothing is going to happen to us until that baby is born."

"But without being able to travel in the last trimester…" Claudia posed.

"We still have five months to figure out something." Stella assured her. "And this place beats Pentonville for the time being."

"Maybe we don't even need to wait that long; my husband is sure to come looking for me, and when he does my father better watch out. Between Sonny and John these putzes don't stand a chance."

"So is the mighty Sonny Corinthos everything he's cracked up to be?" Stella questioned.

"I don't know; what have you heard?"

"I heard that he was gorgeous. He craved power and control; but was heartfelt and generous to the people he cared about; ruthless to his enemies." Stella described.

"That's him in a nutshell." Claudia confirmed. "I mean it's more complicated then that; it always is, but he is not someone you want to piss off. He can be fiercely territorial; if you attempt to take something he feels belongs to him Lord, have mercy on your soul."

"He thinks you belong to him?" Stella questioned the healthiness of that.

"I didn't say he didn't have his faults." Claudia replied. "But considering the alternative I think I'll take it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it wasn't that long ago that I could have been at the mercy of Sonny's wrath. The baby that I lost was what bound us together; before that I was praying night and day that he wouldn't find out what I had done."

"You mean hiring the person to shoot his son?" Stella asked.

"I mean hiring the person to kill Sonny." Claudia clarified. "I had no idea Michael would be there. Like you said Sonny was ruthless to his enemies he thought my brother and I were responsible for his girlfriend being shot and his son disappearing… and remember what I said about him being territorial."

"He went after you?" Stella assumed.

"Worse; my little brother. I know how this sounds. We are so much alike that it is scary. I married him at my father's request to solidify the power. That whole thing gets complicated; pretty much my dad got ousted as Sonny and Jason reestablished ties, but the point is that somewhere in there I fell in love with Sonny, and he me. Hearing all this doesn't change your mind about helping me, does it?"

"No." Stella shook her head.

***********

Spinelli sat in the café with an orange cola watching the security feed in one box and Sam's tracking device on another. So far everything was progressing according to plan there was still another twenty minutes before the crew was set to do another check off the grounds and Sam had just sent a text that they were about to open the casket.

"That's brilliant." Spinelli heard a female voice from behind him. "How accurate is it?"

"Your generous observation is very much appreciated; the Jackal strived exhaustingly to make certain the technology was at the peek of its performance."

"And who is it that you are tracking? I don't suppose it would be Ms. Samantha McCall." The woman questioned.

Hearing the name sent a shiver into Spinelli's spine as he looked up to see the Cassadine matriarch standing over his shoulder.

"No need to worry Mr. Spinelli. I don't come to harm you. May I have a seat?"

Spinelli nodded his head nervously. "Wh… what interest would you have in the Jackal?"

"I'm merely interested in finding out if there has been any sighting of Valentin."

"Not thus far."

"And there was one other question about that trailing device?" Helena smirked. "It seems it could become very handy; how do you get it to display the pulse?"

"If the Jackal were to divulge this information would he be released from the Ice Princesses clutches?"

"Am I still called that?" Helena mused. "Spinelli, my dear, I will assure you that you are in no harm from me, and if you require proof I will back away with my hands drawn."

"The device has been placed over the radial artery." Spinelli explained.

"Clever." Helena replied before backing out.


	142. Chapter 142

"What do you mean you saw Helena?" Nikolas questioned Spinelli as they met up with each other at the airport.

"The Ice Princess caught the Jackal off guard as he was standing vigil over security feeds." Spinelli explained.

"What exactly did you tell her?" Sam inquired.

"The Jackal informed the Phantasmal One that no contact had been forged with the illusive heir." Spinelli replied.

"And that's it?" Nikolas questioned.

"Uh huh." He shook his head.

"You know it doesn't matter now, let's just get this bone to General Hospital for the DNA test." Sam responded pointing towards her pack. Besides the run-in with Helena everything went well. Nikolas and Sam had time to fill the hole and re-lay the turf before exiting the cemetery without the guards noticing the frozen time on the cameras.

"Why do I feel that's not your only reason for wanting to get back?" Nikolas teased.

"Lucky sounded down the last time I talked to him. Evidently Helena/Valentin aren't the only destructive combo on the loose. Pentonville fell victim to a prison break."

"What?" Spinelli questioned. "Why has no one yet approached me about this dilemma?"

"Because they have people on it; go to sleep. I am sure there's going to be plenty of work to do when we get back." Sam advised. They were settled on the plane with time on their side; they best thing they could do was use it to catch up on much needed rest.

***********

"Don't tell me you're going out in that?" Dante pointed out the window.

"In what? The storm ended late last night." Caitlyn replied. "Didn't you hear the snow plows going through this morning? It should be fine, and between work and the party tonight this is my only chance to go for a run. Besides I thought Ali might enjoy some exercise."

"You do realize you can't keep the dog, right?"

"I planned on running past the neighborhood to see if anyone recognized the dog or posted signs that she was missing. I don't want to dognap if there's someone looking for her; but I don't want her abandoned or taken to the pound either."

"Have I told you recently that I love you?" He grinned. Her enthusiasm for life was what attracted him to her in the first place, and this was just another example of that.

Caitlyn smiled; she was hoping that adding a pet into the equation wasn't going to hurt the relationship anymore than her friendship with Johnny Zacchara had. "I believe, Mr. Falconeri, you just did." She pulled him into an embrace.

"Careful or I may not let you go." He said kissing her.

She felt herself slipping into his stupor. "Okay, no. I have to go."

"No you don't."

"Yes, yes, I do. Remember? Pass through the neighborhood, check for posters? It was all part of the plan. And Ali looks like she needs to be let out."

Dante rolled his eyes and released his grip. "What time should I be there for the party?"

"Six o'clock?"

"See ya, then." He pecked the top of her head.

"Oh… I love you, too." She added to his earlier comment.

***********

Carly walked by Morgan's room to find him stuffing a change of clothes in his duffle bag, along with his swim trunks and some toiletries.

"Whatcha doing?" She asked timidly.

"Packing." Morgan stated the obvious. "With Caitlyn as the chaperone I figured it would be okay to go swimming, and of course I would need something to change into afterwards."

"Oh. Why do that now? I mean, the party doesn't start until six." Carly pressed.

"I was going to bring him over to his friend's place for the afternoon. Ryker's mom offered to bring him to the MetroCourt." Jason said startling her as he popped up from behind.

"That's very nice of her, but I don't see why you need to drive him. That's right on my way to the MetroCourt for my meeting with Jax."

"But you would be like five hours early; Jax' flight doesn't get in until two thirty." Morgan argued.

"And I promised Morgan breakfast at Kelly's with Grandpa Mike." Jason countered.

Carly shook her head in defeat. "I can't believe you think I would stoop to pressuring my nine-year-old son into giving away your plans for tonight."

"I can't believe you said that with a straight face." Jason refuted. "Your mom is going to stop by after her shift to pick up Britni; that should leave you plenty of time for your meeting with Jax."

"Where are you going to be?" She questioned.

"I have a few things to get done; like I mentioned before a limo will be waiting out here at eight pm. Be ready."

"For what? If I don't know what I'm doing how do I know what to wear?"

"You'll know." He said cryptically before giving her a kiss. "Come on bud, grab your stuff."

"You have a good time tonight." Carly said snatching him in a hug before letting him leave.

"You too." Morgan grinned.

Carly shook her head not liking being the odd one out in a secret, but she had to admit she loved the idea of Jason going all out to plan a special night for them.

*************

"He's busy at the moment; it's going to have to wait." Max stopped Johnny from getting into Sonny's living room.

"Busy with what? Does he have a lead on my sister? Max, you would tell me…"

"As far as I know there has been no progress in locating Zacchara or the latest Mrs. C." Max assured him.

"In that case I have some information that he'd be interested in." Johnny explained. He struggled most of the night with telling Sonny what they had found out, but decided that if it was the other way around he would want to know.

"Did she contact you?" Sonny asked opening the door to the den overhearing the conversation.

"No. No, nothing like that. Dante followed up on that hacker contact that he had. We found out that the person most likely involved in setting up the break and gaining access to Claudia was a security guard by the name of Brutus who has been working the woman's unit this past week. By the time I got to checking out his place the PCPD had already been there, but it looks like he is long gone."

"I'm waiting for some good news." Sonny replied impatiently.

"I don't know if this counts, but I'm pretty sure I know my father's interest in grabbing Claudia."

"Which is?"

"She's pregnant." He blurted out.

"What? No, no way." Sonny reacted. "No, i.. it would be too soon to tell. Oh my God."

"I was thinking the same thing, but remember Christmas when I asked you if she was looking pale? And, why else would he take her except if she was carrying the heir that he always wanted? He must have finally realized that I had no interest in fighting for the control of the organization. Okay, Sonny, I know you're stressed out, but do you think you could display just a little bit of enthusiasm. I would hate to have to explain to Claudia…"

"It's not that. I mean, I know how much having a child would mean to Claudia and this would be a child I got to raise and… I guess I was just hoping that it was some kind of message or ransom." Sonny explained.

"Because at least then you could expect some kind of contact or clues to their location." Johnny understood.

"We have to find her. Once that baby is born he's not going to have any use for the mother."

"Or the nurse he snatched to take care of her through delivery." Johnny added.

"Huh?" Sonny reacted confused. "There's an innocent involved in all of this."

"Is there ever not?" Johnny questioned; it was the reason he fought the idea of taking over the organization. After what happened to Michael he couldn't handle being the person responsible for making the decisions that got innocent people hurt or killed.


	143. Chapter 143

"Lucky." Sam called from the entrance of the PCPD.

He looked up to her voice and then across the room to hold her. "I really didn't expect you this soon."

"Like I said; the time difference was on our side." She replied between kisses.

"Get a room, Spencer." Harper called out.

"Interrogation is open." Cruz smirked.

"Thanks." Lucky smiled and lead her to the open space.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Lucky questioned.

"Yeah; Nikolas is bringing it to Robin now as well as donating a sample to compare it to." Sam explained. It was only a couple of days since she had left but seeing him before her reminded her just how much she had missed him. As she stopped talking Lucky felt himself being drawn in by her, and after a couple seconds Sam's back was flat against the interrogation table while Lucky was ripping away her top as she kissed him.

"Ah hem." Mac coughed walking in on them.

They both jumped up as Sam attempted to hold her blouse together.

"Spencer, you've been here all night why don't you take the rest of the day off." His superior insisted.

"Thank you." Lucky replied. He grabbed Sam's coat from the floor and helped her put it on.

"Happy New Years!" Mac smiled.

"You too." Sam offered back.

***********

"How did Jason rope you into this?" Carly asked as she offered her mother coffee.

"He asked me if I would look after my granddaughter." She simply put it after taking a sip of the much needed caffeine.

"After pulling an overnight you're okay with taking an infant for the evening?" She pressed.

"She sleeps." Bobbie argued. "And I won't be alone."

"Oh God, please tell me that you and Robert Scorpio are not having your own little private celebration…"

"Why not?"

"Because… because… because…"

"You've already said that." Bobbie interrupted.

"Well then because I don't like it, and I don't think Robert is good for you. He's not exactly good at the sticking around, and there are people out there that would like to do him harm and I don't want you in the cross fire if they come looking for him."

Bobbie laughed at the hypocrisy of the last statement. "Honey, if it helps what's going on between me and Robert isn't serious. I know that once this Valentin thing is cleared up he'll be on the next jet out of here, but it's nice having a male around; can you just be happy for me?"

"It's Robin's father…" She whined.

"Carly." Bobbie used her stern voice with her.

"Okay, fine. As long as you can promise me that I'm not going to be forced into any family dinners at the Drake household I will be happy with the fact that my mother is finally getting laid."

"Does that mean you're not going to want a wedding invite?" Bobbie teased.

"Don't even joke about that."

"Sorry; I just couldn't resist." She smirked. "Now where is the precious little angel?"

"She should be just about waking up from morning nap. Would Grandma like to feed her?"

"Of course." Bobbie responded. After pouring another cup of coffee Carly went upstairs to find her daughter playing with the Outback Safari mobile that Jax had gotten for her for Christmas.

"How on Earth I got a little one with this much patience I'll never know." Carly commented to herself. "Hey baby girl, are you ready to spend the day with your grandma? And if you spit up on Robert that would be okay, too."

Britni's face lit up as she heard her mother's voice. The voice that was so familiar, loving, and safe. Carly stroked her ringlet filled hair before reaching in to pick her up.

"I suppose you need to be changed, huh? Did Jason tell you what he had planned?" Carly asked as she set her daughter down on the changing table. "Tell you what; you don't have to say anything just let me know if I guess correctly."

Britni let out an audible gurgle.

"Is he going to propose?" Carly asked her, the timing was perfect as Britni let out a high pitched squeal. "He is?"

"Now that's just playing dirty." Bobbie commented standing in the doorway.

***********

"What do you have for me?" Robin asked after sneaking Nikolas back to the lab.

"I piece of the right index finger." Nikolas said handing her the plastic bag they used to transport it in. "I hope that's enough to get a sample from."

"Plenty." Robin replied. "And if you can open your mouth?"

She rubbed a q-tip on the inside of his cheek placed it in a canister and did the same thing to herself.

"That's it?" Nikolas questioned.

"Aside from drawing the bone marrow from our friend here and running the test; yeah, that's it. I know you've had paternity tests done before." She said surprised that he was so shocked.

"I thought it might be different considering he's been dead for thirty years. I was expecting to get my blood drawn or something."

"If that's what you really want? But this is just as accurate and I don't have to risk exposure." Robin responded.

"No; I trust you to do your job. How long until the results are in?"

"About an hour and I'm staying right here with the samples until I see the results for myself." She replied. Too many times had she heard of cases of evidence tampering or DNA switching to be comfortable with leaving it in anyone else's hands.

"Are you and Patrick going out tonight?" Nikolas asked her.

"For a bit; my dad offered to watch Emma tonight. Although I think the plan was to bring her over to Bobbie's. Britni is supposed to be there."

"Wouldn't it be funny if Emma and Britni ended up being best friends?"

Robin shook her head. "I don't know if that would be possible, but I would take that any day over them becoming cousins."

"What do you…? Oh, if your dad and her mom, right. That's not a possibility?"

"I don't think so. God, I hope not. They've been friends for a long time, and I think they've been lonely."

"I can't say that I don't understand that." Nikolas sympathized.

"Are you saying what I think you are? Is Nikolas Cassadine admitting to wanting to move on with his life?"

Nikolas struggled with answering that, because in order to do so would mean admitting he was ready to move on from Emily and that scared him. "I think Spencer would benefit from having a female presence in his life."

"Oh, so it's for Spencer?" Robin inquired.

"Tell you what; I know a few girls that I'd be willing to introduce you to as soon as you can admit to me that you're ready to open up your heart again."

"So no one that you'd be willing to set me up with for a one night dinner and dancing at the MetroCourt on New Years?" He prodded.

"Eh…"

"I'll go out with you." They heard from the other side of the lab. Dr. Kelly Lee came over after dropping off some blood work. "I wouldn't mind having a night out with no strings attached."

"Kelly, you're not helping." Robin replied hoping to get her friend to admit to wanting to pursue another relationship.

"I would be honored to take you out this evening; what time would you like me to pick you up?" Nikolas extended the invitation.

"Let's say eight o'clock. It'll give me time to go home, shower, change, and beautify myself."

"That you already have covered." He complimented her. "I do have some business stuff to take care of. Robin, call me when those results come in, and Kelly I will see you eight." He kissed her hand before taking off.

"I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into." Robin warned her friend after Nikolas left.

"I'm not Nurse Crowell; I won't fall for him just to get heartbroken when he realizes that he can't get over his ex. It's New Years Eve the only thing I'm expecting is a midnight kiss."

"Okay, but don't tell me that I didn't warn you."

***********

"How is my lovely daughter enjoying her freedom?" Anthony asked Claudia as she entered the living room.

"Oh, I don't know, it seems I've traded one prison cell for another." Claudia replied. "Unless, of course, you plan on giving me access to the car."

"If there's anything you need just ask." Anthony offered. "I wouldn't feel comfortable with you out there not knowing where you are. You're in a fragile state, and I would feel horrible if anything we to happen to that precious child growing inside of you."

"I thought that's why you brought Stella into this escape plan." Claudia countered.

"If you need anything either me or Joey over there will pick it up for you, all you have to do is ask."

"Am I allowed some fresh air?"

"Go for a hike." Anthony suggested. He knew there was nothing within miles of the place.

"It's nice to see some color in your cheeks." Joey threw out a compliment.

"Thank you; I think."

"Did you want me to go with you?" Joey offered. "I can show you around the grounds."

"Okay; yeah, I'd like that." She replied. "Dad, can you let Stella know where I am if she asks?"

"Sure." He replied. "You two have fun out there."

Claudia followed Joey out. "Wow, this is beautiful." She reacted to seeing the green hills and valley's of the Spanish countryside. The only problem was when she looked out there was nothing but that; even at the horizon line she struggled to locate the outline of another residence.

"I'm sorry about this. It was Anthony's idea; I tried to talk him out of it." Joey explained.

"Tried to talk him out of what?"

"Out of dragging you and the nurse into the prison break. I felt awful for you on that plane."

"Then help me get away from here?" Claudia requested seeing the genuine sympathy in the man.

"I can't do that; if I betray Anthony Zacchara he will kill me so fast, and if he couldn't find me he'd go after the people I cared about. I'm well aware of what he did when Johnny ran away… Too well."

"You were there." She assumed.

Joey simply nodded his head. "Anthony knows how to get what Anthony wants…"

"So does Anthony's daughter." She insisted.


	144. Chapter 144

"Hi Liv, I don't suppose you have some time for lunch." Carly peered her head into Olivia's office.

"Sure I do. I was just finishing up some reports to give to Jax when he returned."

"Have you spoken with him recently?" Carly questioned approaching the Grille.

"Yes."

"How is he doing?" She questioned.

"Carly, are you having second thoughts about signing the papers today?"

"No, none. I have never been happier than I am with Jason, and I know that Jax has Alexis now. Honestly, good for them. It's about time that Alexis finally goes after a guy who isn't a complete psycho. Okay, I know I'm not one to talk. It's just the last time Jax and I talked it was a little awkward and I don't want that for our daughter…"

"You're rambling. Is everything okay?"

"I think Jason is going to propose tonight." Carly finally let it out. "He's been super secretive, and is planning this evening out; getting a lot of people involved. And…"

"And you're not ready to agree to marry him?" Olivia tried to interpret what Carly was telling her.

"No; yes; of course I'm ready to marry him. Seriously, on my wedding day to Jax I joked to Jason about eloping with me instead… if he would have said yes, I would have done it."

"So then why are you so nervous about this?"

"Because it's the beginning of the end for me and I can't lose Jason. I mean, I can't look at Sonny right now; and like I said things with Jax are awkward. I'm going to screw it up; something is going to happen and Jason will hate me…"

"Carly, stop it right now. No; there is nothing you can do to make Jason hate you. You've already been together through better or worst, in sickness and in health… Don't talk yourself out of the best thing that has ever happened to you."

"Is this a private party?" Dianne asked approaching Carly.

"No, pull up a seat; we were just about to order." Carly explained.

"So based on my telephone conference with Alexis everything is set to our liking. It should be fairly painless; I just want to read through it one last time before you sign."

"Sounds good; like I said before all I'm asking for is primary custody of Britni, the house, and controlling shares of the hotel in Montreal."

"How is that little nest egg doing?" Dianne questioned.

"Fantastic; it's pretty self-sufficient. I do want to plan a weekend up there in a couple of weeks to do a thorough check of the books, but I've been in active communication with the manager since I've been back and business up there is booming."

"Maybe we should all relocate to Canada." Olivia teased.

"I think the holiday rush helped a lot." Carly interjected.

"Ladies, are you ready for me to take your orders?" The waitress kindly asked.

"Please." Olivia accepted. "I'll have the linguine with lobster."

"Soup or salad with that?"

"Fresh tossed salad with a red wine vinaigrette."

"And anything to drink?" The waitress followed up.

"Just the water."

"I'll take the same." Dianne responded feeling the saliva forming just listening to the order. "Oh, only with a glass on Pinot Grigio."

"What can I get you?" The waitress asked Carly.

She looked over the menu again to see if there was anything that looked remotely appetizing. Her nerves were kicking in; and ever since her latest surgery that meant less of an appetite. "I think I'm just going to go with the mandarin salad with grilled chicken and water."

"Will that be all?" She asked the table.

"For now, yes, thank you." Olivia replied.

"A salad; are you feeling okay?" Dianne asked her.

Carly rolled her eyes, biting her tongue from going off on how much she really hated being asked that. "Fine; Jason is picking out my outfit tonight and I don't want to be bloated for the evening."

"Bloated? Carly, I didn't want to say anything when you first got back, but you could stand to put on another five pounds." Olivia mentioned.

"How's your practice going?" Carly not so subtly turned over the focus of conversation to Dianne.

"So far, so good. I was a little worried about how not defending Claudia would affect future business dealing with Mr. Corinthos, but that seems to be resolved."

"I do appreciate your discretion on that one." Carly offered.

"Hey, I strongly believe in everyone's right to a vigorous defense. It just wasn't going to be me. Truthfully she was better off with Lansing in the courtroom with her."

"How do you feel about the recent development?" Olivia asked Carly.

"Truthfully? All I wanted was Claudia away from and my family; whether it's behind bars or half way across the world I really don't care."

"You do know that Sonny is going to keep looking for her until he finds her." Olivia added.

"Fine; he can kill off Anthony and sail off into the sunset with his wife. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. He could always bring her back, but then she'd be facing her 25 years in the cell."

"Hey, wait, if Sonny goes sailing out into the sunset then who is going to be my high paying client that I'm defending?"

"There's always Jason." Carly spoke up.

"Yeah, but you've neutered him."

"What?"

"I just mean that he's left the business. I suppose Johnny or Dante will step up if it happened."

"God, I hope not." Olivia replied giving the trinity gesture.

***********

Lucky laid spooned up to Sam with only the sheets to cover them. They were both physically exhausted; he played with her long, luscious hair. They didn't have to say anything to enjoy being in each others company, but amongst the harm reunion they had yet to completely catch each other up.

"I should probably tell you that Helena showed up while we were there."

"Did she threaten you?" Lucky questioned.

"No; I didn't even see her. She showed up at the café to get an update from Spinelli on any contact with Valentin."

"Did he ask her why, if he was dead, there was a burial plot for him, and what happened to his mother?"

"This is Spinelli we're talking about; he wouldn't engage in a conversation with Helena, and I, for one, am happy that he didn't. We don't need Helena thinking we're on to her if our theory is right."

"What exactly is our theory?" Lucky questioned.

"Mine is that Valentin isn't actually Valentin, and whoever he is died at Helena's hands in 1980. For some reason she want us to dig up this information; for what? I don't know." Sam speculated.

"I know; she's doing it because she's a crazy witch lady hell bent on destroying my family. You know about the time she made of family believe I died in a fire and brain washed me, right?"

"Yeah, I heard all about that." She said playing with his fingers as they were interlocked with hers. "How much of the time there do you remember?"

"I don't know. Most of it is pretty hazy. Just don't underestimate her." Lucky warned.

"Not planning on it." She replied before turning around to face him. She gently touched his cheek marveling in his beauty and asking herself what karma she had that allowed him into her life. He was just about to lean forward as his phone went off.

"Shouldn't you get that?" Sam asked.

"Let them wait." He replied kissing her. After the forth ring before going to voicemail Lucky picked it up. "Detective Spencer."

"Lucky, it's Robin I got the DNA results back." She answered on the other end.

"Good, wonderful… what are they?" He responded.

"Whoever was buried in Valentin's plot has no traces of Cassadine blood." Robin replied.

"Oh, so that means Helena is right and Valentin is out there somewhere?"

"No, not necessarily. Mr. Index finger is not a Cassadine but we have evidence to suggest this is the son of Ralph Scorpio."

"Okay, thank you. I think we should all get together tomorrow and discuss what this means." Lucky suggested. "The next step would be to find out who he was; what he was actually known as during his life. I can have a friend in forensics take a look at the fragment and see if the age and time of death match."

"Sure; if you want to drop by the lab. I have a few projects here I need to work on and I'm not letting it out of my sight."

"I'll be done in a bit." He assured her before ending the call and catching Sam up on the details.

***********

"How was your trip?" Carly greeted Jax with a hug.

"It was good; very productive." He answered back.

"So you found the right woman for the job?"

"Not quite. I did find the right person for the job. His name is Remy-Pierre Benoit. He's the youngest person in France to put out a successful fashion magazine. He is world renown and just looking to expand his projects, which would leave Maxie with most of the control."

"Great! How is Spinelli going to feel about this giant in the fashion world working so close to his fair Maximista?"

"He doesn't have anything to worry about."

"Really? 'Cause Spinelli aint exactly a ten." Carly commented.

"This guy is, but he's more your brother's type."

"Oh. Okay then."

"Are you two ready?" Alexis asked coming into the conference room with Dianne.

"I'm all set." Carly replied and gestured to Jax who nodded.

"I've read everything twice." Dianne responded. "It looks very respectable. Everything you asked for and more."

"Where do I sign?" Carly asked as the papers were set in front of her.

"I tabbed everywhere you need a signature and date." Dianne explained pointing it out for clarification.

Carly sighed. "I should be an expert at this by now."

Jax snickered. "You and me both." He loathed the fact that it came down to this once again. He loved Carly; he always would but she was right when she said that wasn't enough and doing this was the best thing for everyone involved. Once her part was done she passed it off to Jax for his signatures.

"Which one of us gets the honor of bringing this downtown?" Dianne asked stuffing the signed papers into a manila envelope after re-checking to see that they hadn't skipped anything.

"I can; I needed to stop down there anyway." Alexis replied.

"Why don't I go with you?" Jax suggested still uneasy about her traveling around Port Charles by herself. "If that's okay with you Carly."

"No; that's fine. I was just going to grab some stuff out of my old office before heading home."

Jax hugged her; giving her a kiss on the cheek before leaving. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"You too, and Happy New Years!"

"Does that mean I'm not to expect to see you here tonight?"

"I doubt it." Carly replied.

"Well, in that case have a fantastic opening to 2010."


	145. Chapter 145

"Hi Anna." Lucky greeted Ms. Devane. "Is Robin around?"

"Yes; she's in there waiting for you. I just got here myself, but from the sound of everything it's been uneventful. How about Greece, any action there?" She asked Sam.

"Not really; there's confirmation that Helena was in Greece, but approached us amicably. Um… you want to see pictures of the Cassadine prince grave digging?"

"Do I!?" She replied back positively.

"Ooh, me too." Lucky closed in as Sam took out her cell to retrieve the photos.

"What's this?" Robin asked coming out of the lab handing Lucky the plastic bag. "Is that Nikolas?"

"Yep." Sam smirked.

"Nice look for him; he should wear it more often." Robin teased.

"Which the black or the dirt?" Anna questioned.

"Does it matter? This is priceless." Lucky commented as she went through them slowly. "Oh, now that one I want framed."

"What am I missing?" Patrick asked coming up on the group forming. Sam handed him the camera to show him. "Okay, now most people would consider this kind of thing morbid and creepy."

"Patrick, you're a surgeon. You can't tell me that you have a weak stomach." Anna remarked.

"It's not a weak stomach; graveyards just give me the heebie-jeebies."

"Really? I didn't know that." Robin replied.

"Yeah, it's that decomposition thing. When I die I want you to cremate me and scatter my ashes at the Daytona 500."

"The Daytona 500 of all places?" Robin asked dismayed.

"Well, yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"You don't think it should be a place that's special and meaningful for your family?"

"That would be! Each year our kids could go and feel like they are there with their father; and then their kids and…"

"I think it's illegal." Anna interrupted.

"And on that note; now that we got what we came for we should probably go and let you doctor's get to your work." Lucky backed away from the staring competition between Robin and Patrick which typically came when neither was willing to back down.

***********

"Hi Carly." Caitlyn greeted her in the MetroCourt Lobby.

"Caitlyn, hi. I was hoping to bump into you. Thank you for doing this tonight; it means a lot to Morgan."

"You're welcome he's a great kid, and after the way Jason jumped to help Dante I really wanted to do something that would express my gratitude to the two of you. Did you want some help bringing that down to the garage?" Caitlyn asked referring to the box she had propped up against the lobby chair to bring to her car.

"Nah, I got it."

"Are you sure? My next appointment isn't until… never mind they just walked through the door."

"I'll see you later." Carly waved goodbye.

"See ya." Caitlyn responded before showing her next client back to the office.

***********

After work Maxie and Lulu went back to the apartment to change; neither one of them had been there for the last couple of days. Lulu was staying at Lucky's and Mac convinced Maxie to stay with him while Spinelli was in Greece.

"What have you heard about this Benoit guy?" Maxie questioned while looking through her closet.

"I asked my mom about his work and she's says it's very retro."

"Retro good or retro bad?" Maxie clarified.

"It's the top selling magazines in our target age group, and Jax says he's willing to work with our developed market. I don't know, I think this could be exactly what we were looking for."

"I suppose. I was promoted to co-editor." Maxie beamed.

"I know. Congratulations!"

"Thank you. This is shaping up to be a terrific night. Spinelli is back to celebrate the New Year and the new promotion. Oh, don't forget these." Maxie said throwing some condoms over at Lulu.

"Thanks; what would I do without you? Don't answer that." Lulu officially rescinded the question as soon as it was posed. "I'm coming up with nothing." She said giving up on the search through her own closet.

"Here; take this." Maxie said throwing a dress at her.

"It's perfect." Lulu said holding it up at her mirror. "How do you do that?"

"It's a gift now get over here and help me out." She demanded. "What do you think? This one or this one?"

"Depends on what you're going for? Tasteful night out or ravaging night in?"

"How about a combination of the two?" Maxie compromised.

"Then I would go with the emerald one over there." Lulu said pointing towards the closet.

"You know, that was my first choice too." She replied putting the others away. "So, are you ready to do this with Matt tonight?"

"More than ready; it's all I can do to convince him of that. I know that I've said that I want to 'good guy' but there's a degree to when the chivalries gets to be too much."

"But it's definitely happening tonight?"

"Baring any disaster situation arising, yes!"

"Take that back right now, Lulu!" Maxie demanded. "You know full well what happens in this town when a large group of people get together for a celebration."

"You're right. I take it back, and just for good measure will go into the kitchen to throw salt over my shoulder."

"That's more like it. You should know better than that with Helena out there, and now Anthony Zacchara… if we were all smart we'd lock ourselves up in a bomb shelter like the crazies did at the end of 1999."

***********

Morgan arrived with his friend Ryker at the stroke of six o'clock. Caitlyn waved him into the spa area to wait for the others to arrive while the parents congregated to the party upstairs.

"Did you two have a fun afternoon?" Caitlyn asked them.

"Yes; we got to play Wii sports." Morgan explained more about the games that it offered as Dante lead in eight more kids.

"This is everyone." Morgan assured the adults.

"This is manageable." Dante whispered over to Caitlyn as they released the kids to change.

"Definitely." She agreed. "Did you remember to take Ali out before you left?"

"Oh shoot… just kidding." He smirked causing her to pop him in the gut.

"Did you need to change?" She asked him.

"Nah." He replied and stripped down in front of her to his swim trucks.

"Nice. Of course, I can do that too." She replied doing the same until all that was left was her black bikini.

Once the kids were ready the boys approached the pool with canyon balls in as most of the girls tiptoed in from the shallow end.

"I have an idea." Caitlyn suggested. "Dante can you help me put the divider up? Have you guys played Marco Polo before?"

A sea of both yes and no's echoed in the pool.

"Well, one person closes their eyes and says Marco attempting to find the others who respond with Polo until they tag someone; then that person becomes the next Marco."

"That sounds like fun!" A girl responded.

"It is." Ryker confirmed.

"There are some safety rules though. Nobody leaves the pool; we stop the person if they get too far into the deep end or too close to a wall. Got it?"

"Got it!" The kids responded in unison.

"Who is the first Marco?" One of the kids asked.

"I think that honor should go to Morgan." Dante replied.

***********

The Grille started filling up as drinks and appetizers floated around the room. Empty chatter buzzed around the background music.

"Mom, hi! I forgot you were coming back today. How was Manhattan?" Sam questioned.

"Probably not as thrilling as Greece, but I had fun." Alexis hugged her. "You are going to catch me up on all that?"

"Wyndemere tomorrow at noon. We're going to have another brainstorming party." Lucky replied.

"Ooh, sounds like fun." Luke said listening on.

"It should be." Sam confirmed.

Lucky watched as his sister entered the room on Matt Hunter's arm in a beautiful designer gown. "You look gorgeous, sis."

"I second that princess." Luke added.

"Why thank you." She beamed. "But if you think this looks nice you should see the new co-editor of Crimson. I think she got stuck in the lobby talking with Robin and Patrick."

A couple minutes after Maxie, Spinelli, Robin and Patrick got off the elevator.

"Wow; congratulations, I just heard." Lucky approached her with a hug. There was a day that Maxie dreamed of that reaction from him, but tonight she was in such a daze she barely noticed.

"You look great, Maxie." Sam concurred.

"Thank you; you look good yourself. And I'm not just talking about the gown."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam questioned.

"Oh, like you don't know. You've had sex." She replied once moving Sam away from the crowd for a bit. "And don't deny it. So? Did you wait until you got home or was it in the PCPD evidence closet?"

"Interrogation room. Well, not really. Your step father kind of interrupted that."

Maxie laughed at the visual image.

"You know, come to think of it. I'm kind of hungry." Sam responded trying to turn the tide of the conversation.

"Dianne, Max you made it." Alexis greeted them.

"Are you kidding? Miss a party on Jasper Jacks' dime? I don't think so." Dianne responded, and then looked over to Jax. "Thank you for the invitation."

"My pleasure." Jax shook his head. "Please enjoy!"

The next to come off the elevator were Olivia and Johnny who were approached immediately by Spinelli who was eager to find out what we had missed.

"I don't know if now is the time." Johnny responded. "But Sonny will be happy to know you're back."

***********

"Did you need help with anything else before I take off, man?" Coleman offered Jason.

"No; this is perfect." Jason said lighting the votive candle on the table he had set up with a meal just delivered from the No-Name.

"I still can't believe you got me to shut down the bar on the biggest party night of the year." Coleman commented.

"Go take your whining somewhere else; the million you haggled from me is going to last through 2010."

"I don't get it; with all the money you have and places you could go tonight why get dressed up in her Sunday's best to meet up with a girl at a dive-bar?"

"Because; if I'm going to ask this girl to marry me it has to be done right. It's not just any dive-bar, it's ours. This is where it all started; this is where is has to happen."

"You sound like you have it all planned out."

"Maybe. I figured we'd start with dinner and wine, and then suggest a game of pool. Which of course I would let her win. When she comes to me to grab the quarter for the juke box I hand her this instead." He explained showing Coleman the ring.

"Holy." Coleman replied. "Apparently the venue isn't where you spent most of the money tonight."

"And then, from there, we move the rest of the festivities to the room I got ready upstairs."

"If she says no, can… can I marry you?" Coleman asked still staring at the ring.

"Give that back." Jason snatched the ring away disgusted. "They should be on their way, so if you don't mind…"

"I'll skedaddle. Just don't forget to lock the door before you leave."

Just as Jason was about to pop the cork on the champagne his phone went off. He looked down to see the name of his driver on the caller ID. "Let me guess Carly is taking extra long to get ready. Tell her that her hair looks gorgeous regardless of how she does it."

"That's not it Mr. Morgan; she's not here and it doesn't look like she's been here all day the dress you had me set out for her is still laying on the bed."

"Okay, um… maybe it ran late at the MetroCourt did you try calling over there?"

"I spoke to Ms. Falconeri. Mrs. Jacks took off from there a couple hours ago. I tried her cell and she's not answering."

Jason took a moment as his head clasped forward he propped it up against his grasp at the bridge of his nose. "Let me try calling her. Stay there in case she's on her way, but call Max to do a thorough check at the hotel."

"Okay boss." The guy responded. Technically Sonny was still the guy's employer but most of the guys preferred working with Jason anyway, and as long as Jason was in the lives of Michael and Morgan he had free access to the drivers and security.

"Come on Carly, answer me." Jason pleaded suddenly feeling his heart drop in his chest. Something was wrong, and he knew it.


	146. Chapter 146

"What's going on?" Dianne asked Max as he put his phone away.

"How did Carly seem after the divorce papers were signed? Any indication that she needed to be by herself to think… or, self-destruct?" Max questioned.

"No, why do you ask?" Dianne asked warily.

"She was supposed to have a date tonight with Jason. That was the person sent to pick her up at her place and she's MIA. Jason wants me to do a sweep through the hotel; is there anyway we can do this without causing a big scene?"

"Let me talk to Olivia." Dianne and Max approached Olivia and Johnny. Max started casual conversation with Johnny while Diane pulled Olivia aside.

"Um… Ms. Falconeri."

"Olivia, please." She corrected.

"Okay, I'm just wondering, have you spoken with Carly at all since lunch?"

"No, but I got a call from her driver wondering when I last saw her. She was spotted leaving by my trainer a little before five o'clock. Is something wrong?" Olivia questioned.

"I don't know is there any way for Max to do a sweep of the hotel or even look at the security video from the parking lot."

"Yeah, here's the master key; just make sure he knocks on each door before going in. I'll call Marty to give you access to the security room. Am I to assume that she didn't make it to her plans with Jason?"

"You know about that?"

"We were talking about it before she showed up for lunch. She was certain Jason was going to propose tonight." Olivia explained.

"And how she feel about that?"

"It was a dream come true; she mentioned being a little nervous about messing it up… Wait. If you're asking if I think Carly would take off to avoid Jason's proposal then I would honestly have to answer no."

"Whoa, what?" Lulu reacted to standing too close to the conversation.

"Lulu, keep it down." Olivia cautioned.

"No; I won't. Are you telling me that my cousin is missing now?!" She screamed causing the whole room to turn. "Less than a month ago Helena Cassadine was spouting gibberish about some Cassadine heir sent to reek damage on the three families? Remember? Something to the effect of 'murder is likely by stabbing or slip noose' and I'm suppose to keep my voice down? We have to find her!"

"I agree, Lulu, but her son is in the pool down stairs and until we know that foul play is involved it's not fair to scare him like this." Lucas spoke up.

"What do we do?" Jax questioned not willing to let it go.

"Anyone interested in being part of the search follow me into the kitchen." Lucky commanded taking the lead. "Olivia and Johnny take the master key cards and check the hotel. Max get down into the security room to see what you can find. Spinelli check video from any camera from here to Carly's place. Anna do you still have access to the international airport?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"I'll drive you." Patrick volunteered.

"Jax, you and Lucas take the copter up; see if you can locate anything."

"Sam and I will check the docks."

"What about me cowboy?" Luke stepped up.

"Every bar/club/business establishment you can find."

"How can I help?" Nikolas volunteered.

"I want you to stay here; make sure Lulu, Alexis, Maxie, and Robin stay safe." Lucky watched everyone scatter to their assignments and stumbled back in a gasp.

"Are you okay?" Sam wrapped her arms around him.

"I don't have time not to be, we have to find her. Fast. Lulu is right if this is part of Helena's game then there's no telling what she would do to her."

"Then we need to go down to the docks and find out who has shipped out of there." She encouraged him.

************

"Jason, what are you doing here? Where's mom?" He asked as everyone was trickling through the lobby.

"Morgan…" Jason said attempting to come up with something.

"Hey Morgan, what are you doing out here? Your friends are waiting for the pizza." Caitlyn followed him out.

"Where's mom?" He asked in an eerie whisper.

"I don't know." Jason confessed.

"What do you mean you don't know? You were supposed to ask her to marry you tonight, what happened?!" He started to scream. As he did the rest of the kids filtered out of the conference room to watch.

"Dante, will you bring them upstairs to meet up with their parents?" Caitlyn requested quietly.

"She never went home." Jason explained with tears forming in his eyes.

"I knew this was going to happen as soon as things start to go well… Which one of your enemies was it this time?" Morgan cried.

"Morgan, we're going to find her." Lucky said coming down the stairs.

"I want to help." Morgan replied.

"I know you do; so do I." Caitlyn said calmly to him. "But Lucky, Sam, Dante, Jason, Spinelli… they have a lot more experience searching for people. The best thing we can do is go back to your place and sit by the phone in case your mother comes back or tries to contact us. Okay?"

Morgan simply nodded his head.

"Good; go find your bag."

"Thank you." Jason offered.

"You go find his mother!" She instructed.

***********

"Unfortunately she wasn't parked at a good angle for the camera to get her, but you can see her pulling out of the garage there." Max pointed out the footage to Jason.

"Miles, the driver, checked into the surveillance at the house; she never showed up there." Jason responded. "Wait, do you see someone in the passenger's seat?"

"I don't think so."

"Play it again!" Jason instructed. "Right there, see? There's an elbow."

"I see it, but it's hard to speculate who it is based off of a tip of an elbow in a coat." Max argued.

"Okay, but where's Spinelli? They turned right out of the parking garage which would dump them straight onto Harborview Drive."

"Yes; Jason you do realize that this was over four and a half hours ago?" Max commented.

"I know that, but if we could narrow down what mode of transportation was used, or even who was in that seat with her, maybe… maybe it would help."

"Your phone is ringing." Max pointed out to him.

Jason immediately looked down to see if it was Carly. "Lucky, did you find anything?"

"Her car was abandoned about a half mile from the docks. Um… the coastguard estimates there were about five to ten freighters that pulled out of here this afternoon. No unusual activity reported. I showed her picture and no ID. I radioed that information to Jax who is attempting to get an aerial view of the harbor. Jason, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"Okay, I'm heading back for recon. Jase, there is one other thing though."

"What?"

"You have to tell him." He heard Sam say in the background.

"Her purse was left in the car. It contained her prescriptions for the next week."

Jason just sat in silence closing down physically and mentally.

"Jason?" Lucky questioned. "Jason? Are you still there?"

He couldn't take it anymore; he wanted the call to end, the evening was a nightmare that he needed to wake up from.

"Jason, I think we lost our signal." Lucky called out a last time before Jason threw the phone as hard as he could.

***********

Morgan curled up next to Caitlyn on his bed not wanting to be left alone. He would drift off from brief periods of time before startling away.

"Where do you think she is?" Morgan asked her.

"I don't know." She stroked his thick hair. "But what I do know is how much she loves you, and that she would do anything to protect you, and she would fight…"

"She would jump through flaming hoops for her kids." Morgan interrupted using her very words. "Do you think we should tell Michael?"

"That's up to you."

"He'd want to know; and we have call waiting." Morgan replied in the event that they got a call from Carly at the same time.

Caitlyn reached over to pick up the cordless on his end table; allowing Morgan to dial.

"Hey Morgan, if you're calling to wish me a happy New Year you're about a half hour early." Michael answered.

"Michael, um…"

"Morgan what's wrong?" Michael asked hearing the melancholy in his little brother's voice.

"Mom; she went missing before her date with Jason. They think someone grabbed her."

"Who does?"

"Jason, Lucky, Dante, Jax; they're all out looking for her."

"Where are you Morgan? Who's with you?" Michael asked concerned.

"I'm at the house with Caitlyn and Ali is keeping watch." Morgan explained more about the dog.

"Okay; I'm coming home." Michael replied before hanging up.

*************

"Michael, what's wrong?" Alyssa asked as she saw him march straight for their bedroom. "Where are you going?"

"I don't want to ruin your trip; you don't have to go but I can't… I can't stay." Michael responded pausing briefly in the hall.

"Michael, just tell us what's going on." Zander demanded.

"I can't." He replied fighting the urge to cry.

"Alyssa, can I get a moment alone with him?" Zander requested and followed Michael into the closest room. "Now what happened? Just… take a moment to breath. It's Carly, isn't it?"

Michael nodded his head. "She's missing; the whole town is out looking for her." He explained before tearing up. Zander let him drop into his embrace. Michael felt helpless; he thought that being eighteen would magically turn him into an adult, but at that moment all he wanted was to be held by his mommy.

"I promise that we will pack and leave first thing tomorrow morning if we don't hear anything from your mom, but the weather isn't the greatest, and this is one of the worst days of the year for drunk drivers. Like you said, there's an entire city full of people looking for her right now…"

"But Morgan."

"Morgan wouldn't want you to risk your life tonight as well." Zander assured him.

"Is everything okay in here?" Liz asked from the entry.

"Not really." Zander answered. "Can you ask everyone to pack up their duffle bags; leave out a change of clothing for the morning?"

"Sure, yeah."

"Tell them it's a family emergency."

"Okay." Liz replied without question. "Michael, if you need anything else just let me know."

"Thank you."


	147. Chapter 147

"Have you been here all night?" Sam asked a seemingly frozen Jason, but not by the cold. He got locked so far within himself that he was oblivious to the single digit temperatures of the night and the wind gusting from the North West. "Jason, let's get you inside."

He followed her without comment through the doors of Kelly's diner where Mike had just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Sam signaled over to bring them two mugs before sitting down at a booth.

"We're going to find her." She encouraged.

"You don't know that." He finally formed a sentence. "I was supposed to protect her."

"It's not your job to protect everyone all the time."

"Maybe; but I promised her that I would always take care of her; that I would never let her down. She's out there somewhere without her medications, and there's nothing I could do."

"Okay, now I know you're not giving up. You're not alone in this; there are plenty of people invested in finding Carly."

"Where's Lucky?" Jason questioned.

"He went to go tell Bobbie about her disappearance. Jase, we were going to have a meeting at Wyndemere to go over leads in the Cassadine mystery, but finding Carly is the new priority. You should come. We can pull all our resources together and see if we can come up with something; a perpetrator, a motive, a possible destination. Just take the 11 o'clock ferry out."

"What do I do until then?" He asked completely lost.

"Go back to the house; shower, change, eat, take a nap." She replied. Sam never thought she would see the day that Jason Morgan would need a prompt to take off a suit, but it was as if he could believe the night never ended that he was still waiting for the limo to pick her for their special evening together if he kept it on.

"I don't know if I can do it. I'm not sure if I go back and face Morgan, and… someone has to tell Michael."

"Those boys look up to you, and they need you. You need to find the strength to give them the hope that they need, and you _need_ to start believing in Carly. As long as she has any say in it, she will not give up."

"I feel like I failed her and her children." He responded honestly.

"The only way to fail them is by giving up. Go on; I'll handle the tab." Sam encouraged.

**********

Caitlyn watched as the sun crept in from the window creating a morning glow in Morgan's bedroom. He had finally gotten into a decent REM sleep and she was afraid of getting up in fear of waking him, but Ali was doing the whine which in the 24 hours she had known her Caitlyn knew it to be. Gently she lifted the boys head and slid a pillow where her lap had been and ducked out of the room successfully.

"Come on." She patted her leg for the dog to happily follow. Caitlyn opened the door to find a guard stationed outside. "Any news?"

"None." He answered.

She walked around the yard allowing Ali to do whatever is was that she was going to do before starting to head in. As she did an SUV pulled up into the driveway. Once it was put into park Michael climbed out of the back asking questions.

"Have you heard anything?" He started with.

"No; not since last night."

"Does anybody know anything about who has her?"

"Not that they have told me."

"How's Morgan?"

"He's pretty upset, but he's sleeping right now. Why don't you go bring your stuff inside? Just keep it down." Caitlyn suggested as Zander and Liz walked over. She gave her brother a big hug before saying anything.

"Where did the dog come from?" Zander asked once they released their grip.

"It's a long story." She replied feeling exhausted herself.

"Anyway to condense it?" He pressed.

"Sure; if that's what you want. Anthony Zacchara broke himself, his daughter, and an associate out of Pentonville the other day. In the process he grabbed an on staff nurse who is the owner of this dog. Johnny and I went over to her place yesterday to get some information and found this little girl abandoned."

"Anthony and Claudia Zacchara are loose?" Elizabeth questioned. "That's just great. Tell me that they are our top suspects for grabbing Carly."

"It's a possibility, but I doubt it." Caitlyn refuted. "A. They just escaped a long prison term. Why would they have stayed a day and an half in town to grab her? Plus their getaway car was found at the Buffalo airport the same night of the break. B. Johnny is certain that Anthony and Claudia are not in collaboration with each other. Anthony only broke her out in attempt to take control of his heir."

"What heir?" Liz asked.

"The one Claudia is carrying."

"Where is everyone?" Zander questioned.

"Dante stayed over at the penthouse with Spinelli to go through surveillance video. Johnny was going to talk to Sonny about contacting associates to keep an international watch. Lucky was going to go over to Bobbie's to tell her, and I haven't from Jason since last night."

"What was the update that you didn't want Michael to overhear?" Zander finally asked her. "I'm guessing it's not the Zacchara stuff since you sound unconvinced."

"Her car was found near the Harbor with her purse inside containing a weeks worth of her medication. Jason asked me to take an inventory of what was left here."

"And?" He pressed.  
"Unless there's a pharmacy aboard the freighter they took off on she's without until they reach shore."

"How bad is that? She went eights months without while she was pregnant." Zander figured.

"Her condition changed once she had the stroke; on Christmas she was barely an hour late and feeling the effects." Liz answered recalling their conversation in the kitchen.

"How long? How long do you think she could survive without her meds?" Zander asked.

"I'm not a doctor; I can't answer that, but the sooner we find her the better."

***********

Lucky stood outside the Brownstone dreading the idea of pressing the doorbell. He knew that she would be demanding answers that he didn't have. Bobbie had already gone through the pain of losing a daughter once. 'No.' He thought to himself. 'Don't go there; she's fine.'

"Hey Lucky." Robert opened the door. "You're not exactly the first person I expected to see this morning. It must have been some party last night. Robin and Patrick swore to me that they were going to call it early to pick up Emma."

Lucky scanned the room to see Emma at the highchair popping cherios into her mouth like they were candy and his aunt holding a bottle up for Britni.

"Lucky, what's wrong? Did Helena make a move?" Bobbie questioned noticing the seriousness on his face.

"I don't know. Err, I don't know if it was Helena." Lucky corrected himself.

"You officially got my attention." Bobbie responded.

"Carly never showed up for her date last night. The limo went to pick her up at her house and she wasn't there."

"Well; that could just be typical Carly. I mean, leave it to her to freak out when she's about to get everything she ever wanted. Give her a couple days; she'll come back with some excuse of why she needed to get away." Bobbie attempted to rationalize it.

"There was a video taken leaving the MetroCourt someone was hiding in the seat next to her, and her car was found abandoned by the docks." Lucky explained further.

"I've been wondering if post partum may have been an issue again…"

"Aunt Bobbie, stop!" Lucky screamed. "Her purse was left in the car with all her med box in it. Carly didn't run off; she was taken and if the perpetrator isn't an imminent threat the lack of medication is."

"We get it!" Robert stopped him as he watched Bobbie try to absorb everything her nephew was telling her. He sat down next to her to let her lean on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean. It's been a long couple of days. I think Robin should be by soon to pick up Emma and Caitlyn is at the house taking care of Morgan. We're meeting over at Wydemere to pull resources together." Lucky explained while trying to keep himself from crying.

************

Lucas sat on Matt's couch holding onto his cousin as she let her tears flow.

"Did you see anything?" She asked him.

"No; there were boats. Most were heading in the direction of Canada but there wasn't enough gas to get us there… and there was a good five hour lead on us." Lucas explained.

"But that could be good." Matt chimed in. "If they stop in Canada; they could pick up a prescription. Probably the closest loading dock is in Toronto; I can try the pharmacies in that region."

"It's worth a shot." Lucas encouraged.

"Will you stay with her while I go to General Hospital?" Matt requested.

"I wasn't planning on leaving." He replied.

"What if her captor doesn't care about saving her life? What if the plan was just to kill her off and that's why they left the purse in the first place?" Lulu sobbed.

"No." Lucas responded shortly pulling away from her. "If they just wanted to kill her they could have knifed her in the parking lot and left her there as a message. They took her for a purpose, and we are going to figure out what that is and bring her back."

"When you agreed to be Godfather did you ever think…?"

"Lulu, I mean it, please don't. She's my sister and I have to believe that she would move heaven and hell to come back."

"She's kind of a sister, mom, and best friend all rolled into one; I don't know what I'd do…"

"Don't focus on that. Focus on the fact that the she's one of the strongest people you know."


	148. Chapter 148

"Dad, what are you doing?" Ethan asked his father as he stepped on to the Haunted Star.

"What does it look like?" A drunk Luke responded.

"It looks like you are celebrating the New Year with a bottle of whiskey, and not even a good one at that. What's shaking? Did Tracy throw you out again?"

"You haven't heard? Where have you been?"

"Took my beautiful Latina lover out to the blues club last night; ending up crashing at her place. What did I miss?"

"Some psycho snatched up my niece last night, and since there seems to be no clue to who has her or where to find her I figured I'd drink."

"Carly is gone?"

"Is there another niece that I should know about?" Luke asked seriously confused, and then took another swig.

"Okay… okay that's enough." Ethan stole the bottle from his hand.

"Hey you work for me." Luke said grabbing for the bottle that was just beyond his reach. "Hey, wait a minute, what are you doing?"

"Dumping it out and starting a fresh pot of coffee." Ethan responded.

"That's alcohol abuse!" Luke objected.

"Trust me, it's not." Ethan said throwing the bottle into the recycling can, and then dialing Lucky's number to find out more information that it was obvious he wasn't getting from his dad.

***********

"Hey Caity, is it okay if we take your car back to the house to freshen up?" Zander requested. They had left the lodge in a hurry and spent the last 5 hours in the car.

"Sure; here." She replied handing him the key. "I should go check on Morgan"

"Call me if you hear anything else." Zander insisted.

"You do the same, and be careful; there really are too many crazies out there." She hugged him before going inside. Morgan was still sleeping and Michael was sitting on his bed reading a card.

"It's from mom for my birthday." He explained holding back tears. "I was supposed to call her, and didn't. I blew her off and when she called I didn't even say I love you. The last time I talked to her and I didn't…"

"Whoa; who said it was the last?" Caitlyn questioned.

"I heard you tell Zander about the medication." Michael replied.

"You did?"

"The ledge outside my window extends out on top of the front door."

"That's why you were so willing to go inside? Figures. Of course, you know where you get that resourcefulness from, right?"

Michael snickered. "Yeah."

"I know it's trite, Michael, but don't count any chickens before they are hatched. It's easy to go to that worst case scenario, most of us do, but it's not going to help anybody. I know this isn't fair, but your brother and sister are going to be looking up to you on how to react; how to feel. You have to stay positive for their sake." As Caitlyn was talking Jason stood outside of Michael's room listening in.

"Britni's only a baby."

"That is going to know that her mother is gone, and is going to feel the fear and the frustration of everyone around her."

"She's right." Jason finally stepped in. "Michael, you had mentioned a connection shared with your mom while she was in South Carolina; an instinct that something was wrong. What do you feel now?"

"I don't know, exactly. She's in trouble." He replied.

"But?" Caitlyn questioned.

"I can still feel her."

"Hang on to that." Jason suggested. "Caitlyn, can we talk outside?"

She followed Jason into the hallway wondering what he possibly wanted from her.

"There's a group getting together this afternoon to pull together pieces and try come up with a game plan. I know I'm asking a lot and I'm probably keeping you from whatever it is that you would rather be doing, but these boys respond well with you."

"I would be happy to watch over the boys this afternoon. Any idea if Britni is coming back?"

"I don't know; Lucky was going over to tell Bobbie, and I haven't heard from Jax since last night."

"That's fine; just know that if you need someone to look after her…"

"You do realize that it is okay to say no, right? Between taking on an abandoned dog and now this." Jason interrupted her.

"Don't worry about it. I thrive on taking care of others; it's kind of my fatal flaw."

"Who gets to take care of you?" Jason questioned.

"Me. Or at least that's the way it's always been." She replied suddenly regretting saying anything. "But you probably want to shower and change and what have you."

"Yeah, I should do that." He replied hesitantly. He was still fighting the urge to move on, but he had to if he was going to be able to help her kids. Caitlyn was right; Michael was responsible for being a source of strength for his siblings. It wasn't fair, but it was his role as big brother. Jason could help by shouldering some of the responsibility.

***********

"I understand what you are saying, Dante, but most of my associates are out looking for Claudia. I can't spare anyone else." Sonny responded to the request.

"You can't spare anyone else? This is the mother of your children." Dante replied shocked at his reaction.

"Yes, and Claudia is the mother of my child, too. Carly has this whole town looking for her; who does Claudia have besides me?"

"Claudia isn't in imminent danger. Anthony won't do anything until that child is born. Carly, on the other hand…" He gasped. "Without her medication her time is ticking, and it's ticking fast. I wouldn't be able to look at Morgan again if I knew I could do more to help his mom and didn't."

"You can't ask me to choose between my ex-wife and my current one!" Sonny rebutted.

"I agree with Sonny our focus should stay on following my father." Johnny said stepping into the room.

"Of course you would." Dante said rolling his eyes.

"Hey, wait a minute there. I care what happens to Carly." Johnny objected to the gesture indicating otherwise. "I spent half the night knocking on doors at the MetroCourt and the other half calling up old Zacchara contacts to keep them on alert, but we don't know who has her. The smartest way to go about it is to cover all angles. Between the PCPD, McCall and Jackal PI, Robert and Anna super spies, Jasper Jacks enterprises, Nikolas Cassadine's Empire, and probably ELQ connections there are plenty of people covering the other usual suspects. Let us take this one."

"You don't think anymore than I do that your dad did this." Dante argued.

"What if we're wrong? He could have hired any number of people to grab her after he took off."

"Johnny is right. Dante, I want you to go to Wydemere and let them know that we will cover any leads on Zacchara and his affiliates." Sonny replied.

"To find Claudia!" Dante fired back at him.

"And Carly if Zacchara had anything to do with it." Sonny responded. "John, why don't you go with him?"

***********

"Jax, there's nothing more you can do at the moment." Alexis insisted watching Jax pace the hall looking down at his cell every couple seconds. He had already called everyone he knew that could be of any help locating her.

"There has to be something I can do. She's out there somewhere, and.. and it's probably my fault." Jax replied.

"How do you figure that?"

"I should have never left Carly alone in that hotel. I knew we were on high alert."

"You didn't leave her alone. There were plenty of people there including security that could have followed her to the garage if she would have requested it, and must I use the argument that you asked her to take herself and daughter out of the country to let things cool down here?"

"That may have worked to let things cool down with Helena, but I'm not entirely convinced Helena or the crazy spawn had anything to do with this."

"You think it was Jerry." Alexis replied somehow able to anticipate his response.

"He has this precarious obsession with her. I felt like something was off when he disappeared after trial, and he stayed at this hotel for two weeks. He probably had this whole place staked out; the security, the camera angles, employee parking, schedules, everything."

"Tell me you're not saying what I think you are… No! It's Helena; she swore to take vengeance on the Spencer's, and Carly was an easier mark being nobody expected her to be targeted."

"Alexis…" He attempted to reason with her.

"No. Jerry wouldn't do this. He… he wouldn't do that to Michael and Morgan; he wouldn't do that to his niece." She argued attempting to convince herself.

"You aren't honestly going to sit here and advocate for my brother? I should have never helped him after the hostage situation. I can't believe I let him talk me into trusting him when he said he'd change…"

"This time I let him go. I was so convinced that Claudia needed to pay that I took an opportunity to put Jerry behind bars and threw it out the window. If anything happens to her because… Are we sure it's not Helena?" She questioned again.

"We can't rule anything out." Jax responded.


	149. Chapter 149

"Alright, lay it on us Doc what… how long does she have?" Luke questioned Patrick as they gathered in the Cassadine formal dinning hall.

As the question was being asked Jason walked in to a roomful of eyes suddenly aimed towards him. "Well? I'm not sure I would be so blunt about it, but it's the question we're all asking." He responded.

"It's hard to put a timestamp on this kind of thing. Without her meds she's running the risk of another stoke, or worse. Her best bet is to stay as calm as she can, and Carly knows that." Patrick explained.

"Matt was also going to check into pharmacies in the Toronto area to see if any prescriptions were filled out." Lucas explained.

"Robin is also in communication with neurologist's world wide specializing in ZBT in event they run across this particular case." Patrick replied.

"That only works if whoever has her cares about keeping her alive." Lulu objected.

"Which means we need to discuss the options." Lucky cut in. "I think we can all pretty much agree that it can be narrowed down to three."

"What do we know about Valentin?" Robert spoke up. After he and Bobbie dropped Britni off at the house they caught the ferry out to Spoon Island.

"As far as we can tell there is no Valentin. The remains found at his grave turned out to be a Scorpio descendent." Sam answered.

"I got the lab reports back this morning." Lucky added. "The findings were consistent with an adolescent male that died thirty years ago."

"My cousin." Robert responded regretfully. "Who Helena must have had murdered, but why send us on this goose hunt? What was the point of literally digging up the past?"

"To scare us, separate us, and then take us out one by one?" Anna guessed.

"That's true, but it's more calculating then that. There's a reason that she brought Valentin into the canvas. We just don't know it yet. There was something about that poem 'the Cassadine's, the Spencer's, and Scorpio's the same; mortal danger lurks while he plays his board game. Beware of the corners, passages, and halls; as saint Valentin's plot is soon to befall.'" Nikolas reiterated.

"So do you or don't you think your Grandmother's plan involved taking Carly?" Lulu questioned impatiently.

"Lulu, calm down." Bobbie patted her niece's shoulder.

"Calm down? I'm sick of hearing what we don't know! We don't know who has her, we don't know where she is, we don't know if she has access to medication, or even if she's alive!"

"Then let's talk about what we do know. Less than 48 hours after Anthony Zacchara breaks out of prison with his daughter the person probably most influential in putting her there goes missing." Lucas pointed out.

"I don't think Anthony had anything to do with it." Dante responded to the argument. As he did Johnny shot him a death glare.

"We don't know; but the Corinthos organization is looking into every lead possible to locate my father." Johnny interjected.

"Of course, Sonny is looking for his wife." Jason replied callously.

"Dante, why don't you think Zacchara did this?" Olivia asked him noticing the tension between her son and Johnny. Dante explained to the group what they had figured out and the probability that his motivation was geared towards the heir.

"Claudia is pregnant?!" Alexis exclaimed. "Lord does Sonny's little men swim."

"Johnny you don't appear to agree." Lucky observed. "If you think Anthony has motive…"

"Of course he has motive to want to hurt both Sonny and Jason and who better to grab than the woman they are both in love with." Johnny answered.

"That's not Zacchara's style." Jason argued. "If he wanted to hurt Carly he wouldn't have someone hide in the passenger's seat of her car and send her on some freighter to meet him somewhere. He'd hire some assassin to kill her and dispose of the body."

"That would explain why the meds were left behind; he had no use for them." Luke added somberly.

"Maybe we should send a diving team out into the harbor." Lucky responded holding back tears.

"No!" Bobbie objected. "Lulu was right there is a lot we don't know, but I will tell you what I do know to be true. Carly is alive! Don't you dare spare your resources trying to look other wise!"

"Mom…" Lucas struggled to say something to console her.

"We haven't discussed all the options yet." Jax spoke up. "Helena was pretty clear that the families being targeted were the Spencer's, Cassadine's, and Scorpio's. Yes, Carly is a Spencer, but she barely has any associations with the others it seems highly unlikely that she would be first in line."

"Which may be the point." Ethan argued.

"From the sounds of it Anthony's concern is regaining his empire through the some seed of Claudia. I think the most likely suspect is my brother. We are all aware of his obsession with her. Deep down I knew he was planning something when he was here. He had access to the hotel and could have found ways to maneuver around the security."

"He also has access to all kind of drugs." Nikolas remarked remembering his own experience with Jerry.

"Who knows what he could be giving her to keep her sedated and follow his lead." Sam added.

"It's a strong theory." Anna agreed learning from experience that the theory that made the most logical sense was typically the case. "Lucas, you mentioned something about the Toronto area."

"While Jax and I were flying we noticed most of the nautical traffic heading in that direction. If Jerry was looking for the quickest route out of Port Charles undetected that would be it. The harbor is only a couple miles from the MetroCourt versus the airport which is on the other side of town."

"Can you fly me there?" Anna asked Jax.

"Toronto?"

"The Toronto International Airport; maybe I can check the security feeds there and find a destination."

"You have clearance?" Robert questioned her.

"Why, don't you?" She smirked.

Robert grumbled something before turning away.

"Spinelli, what have you found?" Jason questioned noticing him sitting in the corner silently with his computer.

"The Jackal is regretful to inform his master that although expending numerous hours scowling the depths of cyberspace no images have been acquired to the identity of the assailant, and whereas the Jackal has listened dutifully to the arguments made by each attendant without concrete proof there is no way of expunging the guilt from whichever of the reprehensible ones."

"I agree with Spinelli." Sam responded.

"You understood Spinelli?" Robert questioned.

"All that he is saying is that we shouldn't give up on any lead we can get. Apparently the Corinthos organization is already looking into the whereabouts of Anthony and Claudia Zacchara. I'll talk to Mac about getting a team out searching the Harbor." Lucky replied looking over to his aunt. "I'm sorry, but there's not much more the PCPD can do."

"I will continue looking into the possibility of my Grandmother's involvement." Nikolas added.

"I have contacts keeping an eye on Jerry's assets and any movement. He's been flying under the radar for a while now." Jax explained.

"I think that's all we have. We should establish a contact person in case anyone establishes any leads." Lucky suggested.

"I move for it to be Lucky." Lucas responded.

"I'll second that." Ethan spoke.

"Done." Jason replied.

***********

When Morgan finally awoke it was to another night terror causing a petrified scream sending Caitlyn running down the hall and into his room.

"Where's mom?" He asked after taking the time to calm down.

"We don't know. Jason went to a meeting to figure that out." She assured him. "I can make you a sandwich or something you must be starving."

"Not hungry." Morgan shook his head.

"You have to eat something." Michael said walking in with his sister.

"You're home." Morgan observed.

"Didn't I tell you I would be? The best thing we can do right now is take care of each other, and that includes making sure we all get substance. I've eaten, Britni has eaten…"

"Now it's my turn." Morgan caught on.

"That's right." Caitlyn patted his head. "And then I thought we could take Ali out for an afternoon walk while Michael pushes Britni in the stroller."

"But what if mom calls? Someone has to stay here." Morgan started to get agitated.

"Mom has our cell phone numbers." Michael argued.

"What if she only has time to make one call and we're not here when she makes it."

"It's okay, Morgan, we.. we'll stay." Caitlyn responded.


	150. Chapter 150

"What did you do that for?" Johnny asked Dante as they stepped off the ferry away from curious ears.

"What did I do what for? Tell the truth? What does it matter anyway? You got what you wanted. It's the job of the Corinthos organization to follow the leads to your father and sister." Dante replied sarcastically.

"Okay, seriously, what's your problem?"

"I don't think I can do it anymore. As I was sitting in that room watching Lucky establish some control it reminded me again of who I was, and what I believed in."

"You want to go back to being a cop?" Johnny questioned.

"Jason was right; what reason would Anthony have in kidnapping Carly and holding her hostage somewhere? He doesn't want to me found! He doesn't want Sonny to come after him! If he's responsible Carly isn't on a boat or a jet somewhere, and for some asinine reason that's the life I decided to become a part of."

"You can't just walk away." Johnny said as Dante held his back toward him.

"Watch me." Dante stated before walking off. He didn't know where he was going, but looking at the Harbor brought an ill feeling to his stomach. He couldn't help but think about the number of enemies that found that to be their final resting place. Dante had been sucked in by Sonny's charm; his love and loyalty to his family, but it was an illusion. When Caitlyn had been shot he had gotten it right everyone in Sonny's life had suffered because of his choices. Dante couldn't live with himself if he did the same thing.

***********

"How was your talk with Cameron?" Liz asked Zander heading back into the living room from the kitchen.

"It was good; how did it go with Lucky? Any news?" Zander asked inviting her into a cuddle.

"Not really; there's a game plan and they think they narrowed down the most likely degenerate, but no, nothing concrete."

"Who's public enemy number one?"

"Jerry Jacks." She answered.

"I know I've heard the name in association with the trial; he's Jax' brother, right?" Zander questioned.

"Yes; best described as a psychopath who only cares about sustaining his own pocket book whether it's through illegal means or not, but Jax' brother nonetheless."

"So not a fan?"

"My first real introduction to the guy was when he held up a lobby full of people at the MetroCourt hotel; I was pregnant with Jake at the time. That night Allan Quartermaine suffered the heart attack that ended his life. It happened with Emily standing there begging Jerry, or he went by Mr. Craig, to let him get help. He also shot Robin and put Carly responsible for sewing her up. Somehow Jax convinced the police that Jerry was innocent of all charges and they were dropped, just like that."

"Somehow I'm not surprised. What did he have to do with Michael's shooting?"

"Claudia had gone to him to take the shot; he claims that because of his relationship between his brother and Sonny's ex-wife he refused to take it, but got Ian Devlin involved instead." Liz explained. "When it came out that Claudia was responsible Lucky and Sam went chasing after Jerry to bring him back for his testimony. Alexis was willing to give him pardon if he went through with it."

"My God, how many pardons does this freak get?" Zander questioned.

"Apparently one too many. Lucky says that he knew about Jerry's obsession with Carly; he used it in Venezuela to detain him and force him back to Port Charles."

"But… Carly is going to fight him every step of the way. If he thinks for one minute that she's going to stand by and let him keep her from her kids he's sadly mistaken."

"Wow, so that crush you used to have on Carly, not completely gone?" Liz observed his passion.

"I respect her loyalty to the people she cares about, and yeah, she can be pretty amazing."

"What is it about her that inspires this kind of obsession with the opposite sex?" Liz questioned. "I mean, really? I must be missing something. She's…"

"I'm not obsessed with her. I learned a long time ago that kind of attachment leads to nothing but trouble. Besides I happen to have everything that I want right here." He said placing his hand under her chin to guide her to his lips.

She pushed away briefly feeling that he wasn't quite all there with her. "You're worried."

"Of course I am; my son is in Paris right now avoiding one psycho and a friend has gone missing because of another. I'm about two seconds away from saying you're not allowed to leave my sight to even go to the restroom."

"You're worried about me?"

"Are you surprised? You're practically the most important person in my life right now." Zander responded.

"Practically?"

"It's a three way tie; you, Cameron, and Caitlyn. I'd throw Jake in there, but I feel like I would be overstepping if I did."

"Has anyone ever told you that you can be pretty amazing?" Liz asked him.

"No; I think I could stand hearing it again." He teased pulling her on top of him.

***********

"Jason, have you found her?" Morgan asked rushing towards him.

"Not yet, bud, but I will. If I have to search every end of this planet to do so I will." Jason responded adamantly.

"Where do we start?" Morgan asked him.

"I don't think this is a 'we' thing." Michael interjected.

"But you said that we had to stick together and take care of each other. That includes Jason and mom; if they need help then it's our job to do what we can to assist." He addressed his big brother.

"I don't know how he got that from our talk." Michael commented to Jason.

"You know what Morgan?" Jason said lifting him up. "You are right. You, Michael, Britni, your mom, and me; we're family. We look out for each other, stand up for one another, and take care of each other. This isn't going to be easy on any of us, and I think we should promise each other right now to be honest with how we are feeling. That's really the best thing I you can do for me right now."

"I can do that." Morgan replied.

"Me too." Michael added.

***********

Caitlyn left the house shortly after Jason entered to give the family time together. Ali ran blissfully unaware of what was going on around her when a familiar car pulled up on the road next to wear she was running.

"What brings you by?" Caitlyn called out to Johnny.

"I'll answer that once you tell me what you're doing out here by yourself?" He replied stepping from his car.

"I'm not by myself." She argued.

"You're not honestly saying the pup is going to protect you. We broke into its owner's house and she came running up to us and licking our faces."

"We weren't an actual threat." Caitlyn shrugged. "Did you end up going to the round circle discussion?"

Johnny snickered. "Come to think if it that's exactly what it felt like. Yes, I went, and I'm pretty sure I pissed off everyone there."

"Why do I doubt that?"

"Because you're not very bright."

"Hey! Wait a minute." She pushed him. "Are you trying to make enemies here?"

Johnny smirked. "Since I'm on a role today… I actually came by to see if you've heard from Dante."

"No; why? Has he gone missing too?" She kidded. When he didn't respond she got a little more nervous. "Johnny?"

"No; not in the fear that some enemy has him held hostage kind of way, but I think he quit his job today."

"Would you mind starting from the beginning?"

"Sure. Dante wasn't thrilled with the idea of keeping the organization's focus on locating my father and Claudia."

"I thought we agreed that Anthony didn't have anything to do with Carly's disappearance." She recalled previous conversations.

"We agreed that he probably didn't do it." Johnny argued.

"And Sonny agrees with you." She surmised.

"I was just joking about that 'bright' comment. Yeah, Sonny and I actually agreed on something, and Dante took exception to that."

"Of course he did, but not because of you. Johnny you're looking out for your sister, Dante wants to do the right thing for his brother. I assume that he thought being Sonny's son would give him some clout."

"We were there, Caity, there are plenty of people looking for Carly and we don't know for sure that my father didn't do it."

"You don't have to plead your case to me."

"I don't? You just spent the day in Carly's house taking care of Dante's little nine-year-old brother who is worried sick about the whereabouts of his mother, and I'm coming to you to tell you that I want the resources of the Corinthos organization to focus on finding my felon sister."

"If it was Zander I'd ask for the same thing, and I only met him a couple weeks ago. I will talk to Dante about this, but I do think it has more to do with Sonny and how Dante perceives himself then it does you wanting to find your pregnant sister."

"Would you take offense if I offered to drive you to find Dante?" Johnny asked uncomfortable with the idea of her out by herself. "It's getting late."

"I suppose that's okay, but only because it's the third day of the wolves moon." She replied.

"What are you talking about?" Johnny asked holding the car door open for her.

"It's the night after the full moon." She explained.

"Really?" He questioned her as if that were to explain last night's events.

"Let me call the house to let them know I'm leaving?" Caitlyn requested as Ali sat on her lap. She figured with Jason there it would be okay, but didn't want to bail if he had somewhere else he needed to be.


	151. Chapter 151

"How did it go with Anna last night?" Alexis asked Jax. He hadn't gotten back to the Lakehouse until late; she had already fallen asleep.

"The security personnel were some of the nicest people you'd meet, but not overly helpful. Anna spent hours going through video while I stayed on my laptop at the café to check out any large transfers in bank accounts."

"You are still convinced that Jerry did this." She observed.

"More so then I was yesterday. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes."

"What does he want with her?"

"He wants her! He's probably told her that if she doesn't play along he will hurt someone that she cares about; either Jason or one of the kids. Jerry hopes that if he keeps her long enough he can work his charm and convince her to fall for him." Jax explained. The logic was twisted, but it had to be in order to account for his brother.

"That would never work… okay, yes, I fell for Jerry's charm, but…"

"It's not as though Carly didn't marry Lorenzo Alcazar after being held on his yacht." Jax argued.

"To her credit she was dealing with some major brain damage at the time." Alexis replied not entirely sure why she had to defend Carly's prior miscalculations.

"True, but now Jerry gets to play God over what drugs he gives her."

"Jax, I've been thinking about something, and I doubt you are going to like it."

"What?"

"The divorce papers, they were handed in the late afternoon on New Years Eve. The probability of them being looked at until Monday is slim to none. You gave both the house and primary custody of Britni to her mother, but without an update in Carly's last will and testament, it doesn't discuss what happens if Carly…"

"It doesn't discuss what happens with Morgan and Britni if Carly dies." He finished her statement.

"I know this is the last thing you want to be thinking about right now, but as your lawyer I'm telling you that the grounds to keep Morgan and Britni under the same roof in your care in the event of her passing are solidified if you are still married to her."

"You're right; I don't want to be thinking about this." He said walking towards the kitchen for coffee.

"What if it's not Jerry? Helena's poem didn't say anything about capture. It was all about the nice little ways to get revenge through murder. If it was her, then Carly was just the first. Same thing with Zacchara; he wouldn't be looking to lead Sonny right to him. It would be an assassination."

"You heard Bobbie; Carly is not dead!" He fired back.

"Even if you are right and this is Jerry's doing Carly's health isn't at place to be playing around with experimental drugs. She spent two weeks finding the right the combination for recovery, that shouldn't be messed with."

Her words stung hard because he knew she was right, but the concept of going into the courthouse to take the papers in event of her death felt like he was giving up on hope in her to make it back home to her children that needed her. "Jason wouldn't have any legal rights…?" He argued.

"A) I don't know what the will says. B) A case could be made over the property with the papers indicating you signing them over."

"Over to Carly, not to Jason."

"Yeah, but that could be a possession argument. If it can be proven that Jason was living there at the time of passing, and don't think that Sonny wouldn't fight you for custody of Morgan."

"That, I can't let happen." Jax replied. "And Carly's children shouldn't be separated."

"So?"

"Go ahead; we can re-file once we get her back." Jax stated remaining optimistic.

**********

"Nikolas…" Lulu stood outside the door to his study. "I hope you don't mind, Alfred pointed me in the right direction."

"I should fire him right now for letting you walk anywhere on these grounds by yourself. Come in." Nikolas invited her.

"Don't fire Alfred; he was juggling about three different things and I insisted I could find it myself. I came to see if there was any progress on this end."  
"Where's Lucky; weren't you staying with him?"

"He had Harper come over this morning so he could find out what's going on at the Harbor. It's crazy out there with the squad cars and divers everywhere. Maxie told me that Mac is only giving them 24 hours. With no signs of foul play he's only allowing it as a favor to Lucky."

"I think Lucky needs to know that he is exploring every avenue." Nikolas said coming over to sit next to her on his couch.

"Even if it proves that she's…?" She couldn't bring herself to say the word. "Wouldn't it be better to believe that she's out there somewhere?"

"Sometimes the unknown is worse than the truth. Facing the truth isn't easy; it's a process, but holding onto hope that may not be possible; living with it every day and going to bed each night disappointed it slowly tears you apart." He explained.

"Miracles happen though. Mom is living proof of that."

"Carly was knocking on deaths door. Her heart had given out and her doctor's weren't expecting her to make it through the night."

"What are you saying?" Lulu questioned her brother.

"She got her miracle; she got to know her daughter and feel the love she always wanted from Jason."

"That's not enough." Lulu replied.

"It's never enough! I got one evening, not even that, to celebrate my recommitment to Emily."

"Okay, wow, I can't… I can't hear this. One brother is standing on the bluff looking over the Harbor to watch a team of divers search for Carly's dead body and another is comparing the situation to his dead fiancé?" She got up to walk off.

"Lulu, don't leave!"

"Then tell me that we're going to find her. You're going to do everything in your power…!"

"I have been placing calls; the last one was my old housekeeper. She still works the Cassadine estate and has promised to keep her ears open for any unusual activity. She wasn't able to confirm or deny anything except Helena has not left Greece since returning at Christmas."

"So Helena wasn't the one in the car."

"It doesn't mean that she couldn't have hired someone, but whatever she's plotting I think it's more complicated than a murder spree." He replied. "It's as if she wants us to figure out more information on this Valentin guy before she makes her move."

"You don't think she already has?"

"No." Nikolas shook his head.

************

"Gracias primo por el mensaje, voy a transmitirlo." Joey replied ending his phone conversation.

"What message?" Claudia questioned sneaking up on him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Joey attempted to assure her.

"I'm pregnant, not stupid. My husband also seems to think that if he talks on the phone in Spanish I'm not going to know what he is saying, but I heard enough to know that you're going to pass on a message, so spill."

"It's not for you. It's for your father." He replied.

"And some day you're going to figure out that you're much better off working under my employ, but if you can't tell we're kind of under small quarters word is going to get around."  
"There's an alert out for the retrieval of Sonny's ex-wife. It's suspected that your father may have had something to do with her disappearance."

"Carly's disappearance? Dad?!" Claudia screamed out on the deck where Anthony was seated with a book.

"Don't you just love the outdoors?" Anthony questioned absorbing the sun in a way that he hadn't been able to for years.

"Did you have something to do with Carly disappearing?" She questioned.

"I don't know, did I?"

"Don't play games with me." Claudia warned. She and Carly never got along but as the mother of Sonny's boys Claudia would have never wished her any harm even knowing that Carly would strangle her given the chance. Except the time when she accused Carly of throwing her down the stairs but that was only because of the fear over her daughter's life.

"Huh, hiring someone to grab Sonny's ex/Jason's latest squeeze, have her killed with no trace leaving them to follow around her ghost would definitely give us the time we need to assure our affairs are in order." Anthony grinned scanning down at Claudia's stomach.

"You twisted bastard! NO!! This is going to fall apart on you; Sonny and Jason will re-align and furry of hell will befall you! Oh my God, I'm going to be sick." Claudia said rushing inside to the bathroom.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Stella questioned as she watched Claudia race past her.

"You may need to go tend to my daughter." Anthony instructed her.

"Zacchara, she's right an alliance between Morgan and Corinthos right now is the last thing we need." Joey reminded him.

"Who says this would reunite the squabbling lovers? A little birdie told me that they are in trying times in Port Charles. The Wicked Witch of Southern Europe, has been telling tales of tragedy and woe. And that is assuming they trust that Mr. Jacks is free of guilt. Their heads are probably spinning with to whom to blame."

"Word is that blame is on you. Mr. Zacchara, are you responsible for this?"

"Since when did Claudia have such a weak stomach for murder? You would think she would be thrilled that the woman hell bent on seeing her pay for her child's coma disappeared before an appeal could be formed." Anthony argued.

***********

After some gentle persuasion Dante was finally able to convince Caitlyn that if she as dead set on going for a run that he had to go with her. The winning argument came with, 'please, just do this for me?'

"I heard things were tense after the discussion yesterday." She decided to prod.

"You were talking to Johnny, I assume." Dante replied.

"He gave me a ride home. We tried to find you a couple places, eventually I figured you would find your way back." By the time he did both were tired, and he appeared not in the mood for a deep discussion.

"What all did he tell you?"

"You quit?" She questioned.

"Not officially. I need to talk to my dad. I tried the other day, but then Johnny came to tell us about Claudia. It didn't seem like the right time." He explained.

"It's been bothering you for awhile, hasn't it?"

"Sometime between finding out that I was Sonny's son and the day you were shot. When I came to Port Charles I really didn't know anyone except my mom. I guess when the opportunity came I didn't fully think about who I might need to protect, and then all of the sudden I had this girl and brothers and a sister."

"This doesn't have anything to do with feeling like you were on the wrong side of the law?" She asked jogging along side of him.

"You know, I was having those thoughts since before I met you. Yesterday confirmed that; I was listening to everyone talk about the motivation of some really twisted people; people that believed in murder as form of punishment and I realized that is what I'm going to turn into if…"

"No, you're not, Dante."

"Are you sure? Did I tell you that Frankie Mendes had a fiancé? Or how about a sister with a son who's about the same age as Cameron is? How is what they are feeling any different than what Morgan is going through right now? They don't know where he is, or what happened; just that someone they love is gone."

"I'm sor…"

"Don't feel sorry for me!" Dante demanded. "It doesn't matter; I didn't do it. I couldn't, and next time there isn't going to be a Jason Morgan standing behind me."

"Dante, you need to talk to Sonny about this." She replied secretly overjoyed that he didn't go through with it.

"That's the best part. He wants to hand the keys to the organization down to me. When he steps down he wants me to take over."

"Then you definitely need to talk to him."

"What am I supposed to do, though? With my life?"

"Whatever you want. Could you talk to Mac about the PCPD?"

Dante chuckled at the thought.

"Okay, or not. You could do security, or cook. You are a great cook." She smiled.

"You won't care that I'm not…"

"Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how I scared I was knowing that you were out on a hit, not knowing if it would go wrong. I ran across town to talk to Carly to find out how to deal with it without putting you in more danger."

"You're amazing." He smirked at her.

"Thank you." She smiled back.

"Now, slow down a little bit!" He yelled out as she was gaining speed on him.


	152. Chapter 152

"Jason, was that Lucky?" Michael assumed once Jason set the phone down.

"Yeah." Jason answered.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing." Jason responded.

"Jase, we promised to be honest with each other. If there's any news I want to know about it."

"I don't know what to tell you." He admitted.

"Something, or I'm going to go the Harbor myself and talk to Lucky."

"Okay, okay, the divers found a body."

"No…" Michael shook his head.

"And then a forensic anthropologist came out and confirmed she had been dead way too long for it to be Carly. Michael, there's really nothing to report. Nikolas talked to someone in Greece that knows for certain that Helena was there during the time of Carly's disappearance, but that doesn't mean she didn't hire someone. Anna couldn't find anything valuable at the Toronto airport. I tried called Johnny and there's no lead on where to find his father."

"I suppose no news is good news, right?"

"I don't know. I feel like I should be doing more, but I don't know what direction to look in." Jason responded.

"You said I should follow my instincts, right?" Michael questioned.

"Why? What are your instincts saying?"

"First of all they are saying that mom is alive which has me thinking who, out of our suspects, would have the most motivation to want her alive. I keep going back to Jerry. He's crazy and ruthless, but he doesn't want to hurt mom."

"But he is hurting mom." Morgan said coming into the room. "Mom wants to be here with us, and without proper medication she could die."

"Where would Jerry go to disappear?" Michael asked Jason.

Jason thought for a minute and picked up his phone. "Lucky?" He questioned.

"Jason, did you hear anything?" Lucky asked wondering what would inspire a call so soon.

"No; but can I get the number for Anna Devane?"

"Um… sure, 202-555-6778. If anything comes out of this…"

"I will let you know." Jason replied before hanging up and dialing the next number.

"Medulla's nursery, how may I accommodate your floral needs?" A woman answered with an English accent.

"Is this Anna Devane?" Jason questioned.

"Jason? Sorry, I didn't recognize the number. Yes, it's me. What can I help you with?" Anna responded.

"Yeah, I'd like to go for the cali lily arrangement."

"Very funny." She snickered.

"Seriously? I think we were on the right track with Toronto, but what if they never went through security?"

"That's definitely a possibility, but…"

"Can you contact air traffic control? Find out the destination of every flight that left from the Toronto area after 6pm Eastern time."

"Sure, I guess. It might take a while to go through all the records. How are we going to determine from that which flight Carly would be on?"

"Process of elimination; Jerry would try to find somewhere remote where he wouldn't be running into any Corinthos or Zacchara associates. Preferably somewhere he knows well, where his brother wouldn't suspect."

"You think it was Jerry?"

"Yeah, I'm certain it's Jerry."

"You do realize that the destinations I get may not be final?" Anna responded.

"I know, but Jerry would be looking to reach destination with as few stops as possible. Do you think you could get me that list?"

"I'm on it." Anna replied.

***********

"Claudia, what wrong?" Stella asked as she watched the woman hunched over the toilet bowl literally in tears. Claudia attempted to keep her eyes open because every time she closed them she saw the image of Carly's dead body which instantaneously ignited the gag reflex.

"We have to get out of here." Claudia panted. "He's a monster. He's…"

"Calm down." Stella instructed while grabbing a wash cloth. "Claudia, he's been here the entire time. What could Anthony have possibly done?"

"He killed her; he…" She started sobbing.

"He killed who? Are you sure that's what he said?"

She was nearly hyperventilating as she gagged.

"I mean it; calm down!" Stella insisted draping the cloth over her neck. "And let's start from the beginning. Who did he kill?"

Claudia leaned back and started. "Carly. You probably heard about her in the papers. She's Sonny's ex wife and mother of two of his kids."

"Mother to the one that got shot?"

Claudia nodded her head. "She didn't deserve this; Michael, Morgan, Britni… they need their mom, I…"

"Shhhh. What your dad did or did not do is not on you. We still have to play his game for that little guy's life." Stella said pointing towards Claudia's stomach.

"I need to go lay down." Claudia announced.

Stella offered her help standing up. She was still weak and shaky as she was guided to the bedroom. "Are you going to be okay?" Stella asked turning off the light.

"I don't know." She confessed.

"Call out if you need anything." Stella replied and left the door open a crack before seeking out Mr. Zacchara. She was stopped in the hall by Brutus.

"Well, hello beautiful! How would you like a little alone time in the bedroom to keep up our pretenses?"

"How would like a knee to your groin? Where's Zacchara?"

"He and Limbo went out for a drive, but if there's anything you need I am available."

"What do you know about a possible murder victim?" Stella decided to ask him. "Do you think Anthony had anything to do with the death of Sonny's ex-wife?"

"I haven't heard anything about that. Zacchara, he's kind of whack job, anything is possible."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

***********

Sam came up from behind Lucky throwing a blanket over his shoulders and handing him a coffee. "Anything else you need?"

"How about some information about where Carly is?" He requested. Sam wrapped her arms around as far as they would reach resting her head on his back.

"I'm sorry; would you settle for my guess to Valentin's identity? I know that's not the focus right now, but…"

"I'll take what you got; I mean if Helena isn't involved in this then she's still plotting something." Lucky responded.

"Lucky, don't take this the wrong way, but you look horrible." She commented.

He snickered. "I've been better. What about the Scorpio/Cassadine whatever."

"I was thinking about where Adriana may have gone to hide her baby, and then it came to me. In the article/obituary about death it mentioned a sister, three brothers, and 5 nieces and nephews."

"Okay, so?"

"What if one of Adriana's nephews wasn't actually a nephew?"

"He was her son." Lucky caught the meaning.

"I had Spinelli dig through the family tree a bit. Adriana closest relative was her little sister, Adonia. She was married and had two children, a boy and a girl; Laertes and Calista Krischnan. Laertes was fourteen when the article came out."

"Any birthing records for the young Mr. Krischnan?" Lucky questioned anticipating the answer.

"Curiously; no."

"Why am I not surprised? I don't suppose you could give me some good news, like a living relative we could talk to?"

"I'm still working on that." Sam replied. "The family may have moved out of town shortly after the article came out about Adriana's death. Adonia's house was sold 1976, and no forwarding address was left. They probably went into hiding and changed their names."

"Only for Helena to Laertes four years later; I wonder where?" He pondered as he continued looking out towards the motion in the Harbor. "Oh God, what did they find now?"

"Lucky, look at me." Sam directed his attention away from the water. "Being here, right now, it's not good for you. Lieutenant Johnson is standing right over there. He can call you if anything turns up."

"It's not going to do me any good being anywhere else. I would just be distracted thinking about what was happening here."

"Spencer, they found something!" Lieutenant Johnson yelled out to him.

"Lucky, don't!" Sam pleaded.

"I have to see for myself." He stated and hopped the fence making his way down the bluff.

"Does this look familiar?" The Lieutenant asked holding out a piece of jewelry. The claps of the necklace had been broken but the pendant still in place.

"Yes; I don't think she had taken it off since she got it on Christmas." Lucky attempted to hold down the lump forming in his throat. "Where did they find, any other trace…?"

"It was pretty far out there; caught on a seaweed branch."

"Spencer, I'm sorry, I think this all we're going to get. Commissioner Scorpio has ordered that we desist."

"Can I… Can I keep it?" Lucky asked in shock as his eyes focused on the diamond studded open heart pendant. He flashed back to Carly recount the story on Christmas morning as Bobbie admired the gift.

"Yeah; it's not enough to be considered evidence."

Lucky stood in place as the divers packed their gear around him. Sam kept her stance on top looking down wanting desperately to know what he needed at that moment.

***********

"You came!" Lulu shrilled throwing her arms around Matt as his stepped into the casino room. "Do you have any idea how happy I am to see you?"

"Lulu, how much have you had to drink?" He asked her.

"I don't know." She said holding up her hand. "What comes after five? You're a doctor you should know… I got myself a smart one."

"I'm sorry, I should have stopped after the Long Island but then she grabbed the bottle of scotch." Ethan explained half smashed himself.

"How did she even get here?" Matt questioned.

"Nikolas brought her; he took a call and I don't know where he went." Ethan explained. "Dear old dad on the other hand he's over… there."

Ethan pointed to Luke who was lying on a booth completely out.

"Isn't this a fun night with the Spencer clan? Lulu, let's get you out of here. Does Tracy know about… that?"

"Tracy?" Ethan blanked for a moment. "Oh yeah, Tracy, no. Not unless you told her."

"Do you know what I want to do tonight?" Lulu posed to Matt. "I want to tear your clothes off and have wild monkey sex."

"Lulu, I don't think tonight…"

"No, don't say no. We don't know that there's going to be a tomorrow. So why put off tomorrow… what… you… could…" She started feeling woozy.

"Lulu?!" Nikolas rushed in as Matt guided her to sit down. Nikolas looked over at Ethan accusatorily. "What did you do? I was only gone for an hour."

"Here." Ethan said handing Matt a glass of water for her. "I swear I didn't know it was that much."

"You heard her tell me she had six drinks." Matt argued.

"I did not serve her that much. She had one of something, and then a Long Island which I might prepared a little strong…"

"I let her have a glass of wine at Spoon Island." Nikolas admitted.

"And that was good stuff." Lulu added. "Only the best there; the top shelf, highest quality, always ready for a party, but those… those never go well. Someone throws one hoping that maybe just once, you even throw salt over your shoulder, and still."

"Lulu…" Matt held her close as it was obvious she was about to cry.

"My phone is ringing again. Do you have this?" Nikolas questioned. He got up and moved across the room for the best signal. "Sam?... Sam, is that you? Yeah…. I'll be right there."


	153. Chapter 153

Michael was sitting in his room listening to a CD when his phone started ringing. He looked down to see an out of state area code and quickly answered.

"Michael?" The female voice answered back.

"Hey Krissy." He responded as his enthusiasm caved.

"Okay, I'm obviously not who you want to be talking to right now; how is the ski trip going? Are you and Lys getting enough alone time in?"

"You mean your mom hasn't told you?" Michael questioned.

"Apparently not, what's going on?"

"The ski trip was called early on account of my mom going missing."

"Huh?" Kristina responded. "Was it Helena, did she? Or Valentin? Is that why my mom hasn't said anything?"

"No. The latest news is that Valentin Cassadine never existed as a Cassadine. I don't really know the details, but Sam and Nikolas are pretty sure that it's Helena up to her old tricks again. It doesn't mean that you're not still in danger though. My instincts are telling me that Jerry Jacks is responsible for this."

"She probably didn't tell me because she knew I would want to come back. Michael you shouldn't have to go through this alone, and Morgan… he's been through so much. After you were taken by that guy in the mall, he asked me if was possible just to get through one holiday without something bad happening." Kristina explained.

"I know he's hurting, but I also know that Jason is not going to give up until he finds my mom."

"Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe Ric knows someone, or?"

"Really Ric Lansing? I know he's kind of a pseudo dad to you, but… I suppose it doesn't hurt talking to him about it."

"Now that I brought him up, that's actually what I wanted to call you about."

"Please don't; I'm still not over what Ric did to my mom the last time she went missing like this." Michael admitted.

"Michael, what if I told you Ric may have found grounds for Claudia's appeal?"

"What? What do you mean? And don't tell me you haven't heard that she and Anthony broke out of Pentonville?"

"Holy crap! What the hell is going on out there?"

"I know, trust me. This all went down when I was in Vermont."

"Okay, well it seems that one of the jurors. Or the foreman, who it happened to be, is the husband to Mrs. Gibson."

"Mrs. Gibson, as in my third and fourth grade teacher Mrs. Gibson?" Michael questioned.

"Thus establishing conflict of interest and grounds for mistrial and a change in venue, yes." Kristina confirmed. "Michael, I thought you should know."

***********

Nikolas got down to the harbor as soon as possible as he did cop cars were racing away in the opposite direction. He spotted Sam on the bridge looking across the bluff.

"Where is he?" Nikolas asked her as he approached. She pointed down by the shoreline. "What happened?"

She shook her head no. "I'm not sure. They were about to wrap up when they found something that must have belonged to her. I don't know what to say to him."

"I'm not sure I'm the right person to talk to. I think I might have pushed Lulu over the edge today with my cynicism. Lucky needs someone that is going to give him hope, and for some reason I can't help but draw parallels to the night Emily passed away."

"I don't see why? Multiple psychos on the loose on a night meant to celebrate the reunification and commitment of past lovers suddenly halted in their quest to move forward by tragedy." Sam responded drawing in certain similarities.

"Wow; that was very poetic." Nikolas praised her.

"Thanks; now how to convince Lucky that there is light at the end of the tunnel?"

"We could try the tag team approach?" Nik volunteered. He helped Sam maneuver down the bluff and knelt down next to his brother. "What do you have?"

Lucky showed him the necklace, which despite sitting in the polluted harbor for the past 48 hours still glistened under the moonlight.

"Lucky it doesn't mean..." Sam argued. "There's a chance it's not even hers, and even if it is all it means is that she crossed these waters. Maybe the clasp broke and it fell as she stood on the deck of the ferry to Toronto."

"The clasp broke of a brand new necklace?" Lucky questioned.

"Or she was struggling to get loose and it got ripped off of her." Nikolas added a scenario. "But as lead person in this investigation you can't let yourself give up; I'm sorry, but too many people are depending on you."

"You can lean on us if you have to, but he's right the Spencer's need you." Sam added.

"They really do, Lucky, I was just at the Haunted Star and they're falling apart. Your dad, who I didn't think liked Carly, was passed out."

"Since when did he need a reason to drink?" Lucky quipped. "I should get this back to Jason."

************

Dante knocked on the front door of the Greystone, sometime during their shower together Caitlyn convinced him that the only way he was going to feel better about the situation was if he talked it out with his father.

"Mr. Falconeri, come on in." Max invited him. "The boss is just finishing an important phone call it will be just a moment."

"Thanks Max." He stood back waiting. "Max, have you ever second guessed taking an order from Sonny?"

"Are you asking if I have ever wavered in my loyalty to the boss?" Max questioned.

"You've known Carly and Michael a long time. It had to be a betrayal to you to know your boss was defending the woman responsible for hurting both of them." Dante explained.

"Kind of, but in this business if you waver you die. My allegiance is to Mr. Corinthos."

"Have you ever thought about taking over when the time comes?"

"Me? No. I don't have that certain quality to make the decisions necessary to keep this organization strong. You do though."

"Thanks." Dante replied sarcastically.

"Dante, thanks for waiting." Sonny opened the door for him. "Have you gotten any updates?"

"No; I haven't heard anything from anyone. By the look on your face I'd guess your phone call went well."

"It was encouraging." Sonny confirmed having just gotten off the phone with his brother. Now all he had to do was find his wife and bring her home. "What can I help you with?"

"I should probably just say it before we get interrupted again." Dante started causing a peek in Sonny's interest. "Dad, I can't work for you anymore."

Sonny sat in shock not quite certain how to respond, but impressed that he was called dad. "Does this have to do with my decision to pursue Zacchara, because Johnny told me it was fairly well received at the meeting?"

"Not, it's not that. Well, not entirely that."  
"I thought you wanted to take over the business, when you came to me asking for a job that was your goal…"

"I was an undercover cop looking for a way to get my foot in the door." Dante objected. "And when my cover was blown I did realize I had a knack for what I was doing, and the money was good."

"What changed?"

"I did. I started to become the person I swore to protect against. As much as you would like to think we're doing good Sonny, we're the bad guys; we're on the side of the Helena Cassadine's, Anthony Zacchara's and Jerry Jacks' of this world."

"Is that honestly what you believe? It took me some time as well to come to terms with a few things, but…"

"But what? Because we have a conscience, because we don't intend for innocent people to get hurt it makes the things we do okay? What kind of example am I setting for little brothers and sister with that?"

"Does this have to do with your relationship with Caitlyn?" Sonny questioned.

Dante hung his head in frustration. "I just told you what it has to do with, but I suppose yes, that too. All I have to do is look at your history to know that there's no way of protecting the people you care about from inside this organization. I don't want to get so far drawn in that I can't find my way out."

"I don't want to lose someone that could be valuable to the future of this business."

"I'm not as valuable as you think, dad." He argued.

"You handled the informant situation…" Sonny started.

"No, I didn't. I froze; if I didn't have Jason Morgan standing behind me with his gun drawn who knows what would have happened. It is a shame that the ties were severed there, you did a good job training that one. I suppose your best bet is hanging around long enough to fight Zacchara over custody of the legacy child."

************

"Hi Lucky, what inspires a personal visit?" Michael asked letting his cousin inside.

"Is Jason here?"

"Yeah, in the living room trying to get Britni to fall asleep." Michael explained showing him in.

"Is Morgan upstairs?" Lucky questioned looking around.

Jason nodded. "He's playing a video game, what's going on."

"Mac ordered to stop the search; the water is freezing out there and it's doubtful that they would be able to find…"

"It doesn't matter; she isn't in there." Michael spoke up.

"They did find something, though." Lucky continued.

"What?" Jason asked letting Britni suck on his finger to keep her from fussing.

"I'm trying to convince myself that it doesn't mean anything."

"What is it?" Jason pressed to which Lucky held out the necklace. Jason stared at it getting a good long hard look. "You're right, it doesn't mean anything."

"Jason…"

"No, I'm not going to attempt to guess how this got there. What I do know is that this was all that was down there, and I'm not even going to try to expend the energy otherwise. Carly's time is ticking; we need to focus on finding her."

"Lucky, you need to believe that." Michael added on taking the necklace from Lucky to see for himself.

"What did you want to talk to Anna about?" Lucky questioned.

"I asked her to get air traffic control to give her the destination of all departing aircraft in the Toronto area. Once we get it we should talk to Jax about deciphering where he thinks Jerry may have taken her."

"Sounds like a good plan; are you going to be able to cooperate with Jasper Jacks?"

"As long as his ego doesn't get in the way I don't see why not. The one thing we have in common is that we both want Carly to be safe." Jason replied.

"He does know that if you find Jerry after this you're going to…" Lucky stopped himself as he glanced over at Michael.

Michael laughed at the attempt to conceal the truth from him; as if he hadn't known for a long time what Jason's role in the business was. The only problem was that if Kristina was right and the appeal went through they may be in the same position of needing Jerry alive to relay his testimony.

"Jax can try to stop me all he wants." Jason invited the challenge.

"I don't see Jax refusing to help find the location; hell, if he tries I'll just stick Morgan on him. Guy won't stand a chance. I'm serious! One look into those little brown eyes as he asks 'where's mom?' and you're willing to battle a fire breathing dragon to bring her back."

"If only it was that easy." Jason remarked.

"I believe you." Lucky responded. "Truth be told I'm too chicken to go up there for that very reason."


	154. Chapter 154

"Dante!" Morgan came running down the stairs at the sound of his brother's voice.

"Hey champ." Dante picked the boy up for a hug. "You're not wearing that to church, are you?"

"I'm not going to church." Morgan replied still in his pajamas.

"Told you so." Michael remarked. Dante had called earlier about meeting his brother's early and going to the service together, but Morgan had declared right away that he wasn't going; he had no interest in a God that wasn't willing to pay attention to him.

"What do you mean you're not going?" Dante questioned Morgan further.

"I don't want to. I want to be here if mom calls, and it's obvious that God doesn't listen to me anyway."

"Morgan, just because he doesn't do everything you ask on your time frame doesn't mean he's not listening to you." Dante responded. Dante and Michael invited Morgan over to the couch for a brotherly intervention.

"He's right, Morgan, this is going to work out just like it always does. You just have to keep praying and believing." Michael added. "Mom did that when I was hurt, and it took awhile but I came back despite what the doctors thought was possible."

"And what happened on Thanksgiving when you prayed extra hard?" Dante asked him.

"Mom woke up." Morgan answered.

"I know it seems like He's testing us, but there's an old saying that God isn't going to give us more than we can handle. Morgan have you heard the poem 'footprints in the sand'?" Dante inquired.

"I don't remember."

"One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints." Michael began the poem by Mary Stevenson as the narrator questioned the Lord about why during the most trying of times there were only one. "The Lord replied, 'the times when you have seen only on set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you.'"

"I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but you're not alone." Dante gave his little brother whose eyes were tearing up a hug.

"I thought it would be nice if we all lit a candle for mom." Michael proposed.

Morgan nodded his head, and got up to go back to his room to change.

"It worked." Michael smirked once he left. "You're really good at this big brother thing."

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without you. Caitlyn told me that he was having a rough time; she actually suggested that I do this."

"I think it'll be good for him to get out of the house; it was just finding a way to do it. He has mom's stubbornness."

"It seems like that's quite the family trait." Dante observed.

"It's both a blessing and a curse." Jason interjected into the conversation. He had Britni propped against his shoulder as he gently bounced; it was the only way to keep her from screaming. The whole house was woken by it early. "I don't know what you two said to him, but it seems to have worked."

"It wasn't easy, but better our job than yours." Michael replied. "I didn't think she was ever going to stop."

Jason sighed; it all came down to one thing, and that was the glue that held them all together. They needed Carly.

***********

Claudia moved past her father avoiding all direct eye contact as she made her way to the fresh air outside. She couldn't look at the man without her stomach rumbling and didn't want to imagine staying any longer under the same roof that she had to. She had to believe Sonny was out looking for her; that he would stop at nothing to bring back her and their child.

"He didn't do it." Joey said following her out.

"What?" Claudia questioned as she was interrupted from her day dream.

"Your father; he didn't kill that woman. If she's dead it's not by his hands." Joey explained.

"How do you know?" Claudia questioned him.

"I've known Anthony for a long time, and learned to distinguish between his psychotic ramblings and actual maniacal plots. This is a rambling. I guess my question is why you would care anyway? From what I understand that woman would walk right over your rotting corpse."

"There's no love loss between myself and Carly; that's true, but she is the mother of children I happen to care about. Michael and Morgan would be devastated if anything were to happen to her; and that baby…"

"I guess it takes a mom to really sympathize." Joey responded peering down at her midsection.

"I respect Carly for her mama bear qualities. If I were her I'd hate me too."

"Even knowing you were protecting your brother?" He questioned confusing himself with the use of the pronoun.

Claudia smirked. "If my son was shot I don't think I would care about the reason. Anyway, I hope you are right, but if not daddy dearest?"

"The theories are the Cassadine Queen or the reprobate Jerry Jacks."

"Jerry? Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you were too busy pointing the finger at your father, and imagining the worst."

"Just because my father didn't do this doesn't mean he's not the monster that I've been accusing him of being." She replied finally convinced that Joey was right.

"I thought I explained that I already knew that." Joey chuckled. The man was only a few years older than Claudia, and after hearing Anthony go on about what a traitorous slut his daughter was he never thought he would find himself warming up to her. He wanted to help her; it was a matter of coming up with how.

***********

After hours of getting woken up by Lucky's periodic tossing and turning Sam finally decided to get up and check out some information on her computer. She had no idea how to aide with finding Carly so instead decided on focusing her investigation on learning everything she could about the Katsaros family. Her latest quest was going to an online genealogy site to type in what she had to see if there was anything she could get out of it. Her gut was telling her that the key was finding the sister, Adonia.

When she went downstairs she found Matt Hunter still laying on the couch with the blanket Lucky had tossed over him. Attempting not to bother him she set up the laptop that Spinelli had convinced her to get at the dinning room table while starting a pot of coffee. After checking her email she asked Bing how to get started with her own search which lead her to a tutorial site.

"The best part of waking up…" Matt started while coming into the room.

"Is folgers in your cup?" Sam finished. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't; it's been a rough couple of days for all of us." He replied.

"How's Lulu?" Sam questioned. By the time she and Lucky had gotten back Lulu was already passed out in her room and Matt on the couch.

"A mess." He answered simply. "Carly means the world to her, and I think she wants to believe in happily ever after but she's been disappointed so many times in her life she can't. I feel helpless, I mean all I am doing is watching her self destruct."

"Self destruct? How so?"

"Drinking herself to a stupor; it was bad. I got a weird text message from her at work; Monica let me go early. Honestly, by the way she was acting she would have propositioned any guy she came in contact with." Matt explained. It was a worry; if she would have snuck out of the Haunted Star she could have landed in all kinds of trouble.

"It's a control thing." Sam explained. "When the bottom is falling out sometimes the only thing you can do is hang on to some semblance of sanity is partake in situation where you hold all the power. It's easier to do with someone you don't know or can't stand because you feel like there's going to be less consequence afterwards."

"And how does that usually work out?"

"Disastrous, but for some reason we have that mentality. The best thing you can do is be there for her to keep her from bottoming out."

"I'm trying; how is Lucky doing?" Matt asked.

"He's trying to balance the role of cop and cousin, and struggling on both ends."

"Has there been any evidence at all indicating who took her or where she is?"

"There's evidence to suggest she did, in fact, cross the harbor. But no, they are long gone by now."

***********

"Here you go, just the way you like it." Marnie came busting into Caitlyn's place with a cup of coffee for her.

"Thank you, what brings you by so early?"

"I thought you might want a Claudia update."

"I didn't realize you were still looking into that. What did you find out?" Caitlyn questioned.

"Well, there were a couple of familial leads that I thought we could try looking into. That Uncle Rudy person in Milan was no good, so I thought about calling Mr. Joseph Limbo's mother." Marnie explained.

"You're making cold calls to mobster's family members?"

"No; I am inquiring about there possible whereabouts on the behalf of their attorney. Or not me so much as Tai's best friend who speaks like five different languages. Anyway, apparently her sweet little Jose is completely dead to her and she would spit on both his and Zacchara's grave given the chance."

"Isn't that… warm and fuzzy." Caitlyn teased.

"But she did drop a name which I thought could be useful; she said something about a Mateo Vasquez. I attempted to google it and found about 300 in existence, but maybe it could be useful to Mr. Corinthos."

"That's it? Just a name? Any location or relation or anything?"

"Oh yeah, I think James said it was Joseph's cousin in Spain."

"And James is?" Caitlyn asked confused.

"Tai's friends; the one that speaks five different languages. Are you alright Cait?"

"Yes; sorry, just trying to follow. I find it entertaining that you are further along in this investigation than either the cops or mobsters."

"Sometimes it takes an outsiders perspective to see things clearly." She replied and then looked around the apartment. "Where exactly is your entourage of mob hunks?"

"What?"

"Oh come on, would you prefer the term harem?"

"What?!" Caitlyn questioned again. "If you are asking about my boyfriend; he's at church with his brother's."

"And the other one?"

"Is a friend only, and he's probably at his girlfriend's."

"Sure, whatever you say. Don't tell me that as soon as I leave he's not going to be the first person that you call."

"It is his sister that is missing." Caitlyn defended herself.

"Uh huh. I won't keep you; I actually need to get to service myself but thought you might want to know and that coffee place down the street is amazing."

"Got to hand it to those Godfathers they sure know their beans." Caitlyn teased. "Thanks for stopping by, and come again soon."

"Will do." She replied before leaving.

Caitlyn stared down at her phone second guessing herself before dialing. 'This is nuts, just call him,' she thought. She had no reason to feel bad about giving John Zacchara an update on the possible location of his sister, and it was that reason alone for the call.

**********

"I was wondering where you went." Olivia stated walking into her kitchen to find Johnny.

"Couldn't sleep, and figured if I let you sleep in it would give me a chance to make you something for a change." He said as he dipped the bread into the egg mixture.

"French toast? My absolute favorite." She grinned.

"With just a hint of cinnamon and vanilla." He replied remembering her telling him about that a while ago. It was also Claudia's favorite morning dish, but he wasn't going to tell her that. "Do you have to go to the hotel today?"

"I don't have to, but I thought I would to get caught up and keep myself busy. John, you don't think that you dad killed Carly, do you?"

"I don't see the point in wanting to egg on Sonny and Jason now, so no."

"I heard that they found her necklace in the harbor." Olivia responded solemnly. "I'm sorry, John, I know you're worried about your sister."

"I'm worried about Carly too." Johnny said wrapping his arms around Olivia. "Your best friend is missing and we have no idea if she's still breathing. There's no reason for you to apologize to me for getting anxious about that."

"I keep thinking, wondering about how long someone is missing before they are declared deceased. I mean, if she is gone how are Michael and Morgan supposed to move on without a sense of closure? How are we all?" She asked tearing up.

"I don't know." He cradled her head into his shoulder. "Without a witness or confession or something I don't think they can claim her as anything but missing."

They were on the third day of hearing nothing and it was wearing on everyone. Johnny noticed the toast start to brown as he held onto her and struggled with what to do next.

"Your phone." Olivia said pointing out the vibrating cell.

"I should…" He wouldn't have gone for it if he wasn't on a quest of finding his sister. As he answered Olivia flipped the toast before it was completely ruined. "Caity, hang on, I'm going to go into the other room."

Olivia gestured him to go ahead.

"Okay, what do you have on Claudia?" He questioned.

"Marnie had a friend of hers call up Limbo's mother in Spain, apparently a name of a cousin was dropped; do you know anything about a Mateo Vasquez?"

"The name is familiar; a Spanish arms dealer, I think. Wait, did you say that was his cousin?"

"That's what I was told; I don't have anything else, but checking this guy out may be a start." She replied.

"I'll pass it on to Sonny. Thank you, but for both you and Marnie it might be a good idea if we took the investigation over from here." Johnny responded.

"We're just trying to help…"

"I know, and I more than appreciate that but I don't want anything happening to you."

"The guy that is upset that the whole town would drop everything and pull out all their resources to locate Carly but not lift a finger to help find Claudia is asked me to back away from assisting him in the search?" Caitlyn questioned. "I'm just trying to understand, you know that Dante quit yesterday, right? Not that I don't support his decision 100% but that leaves one less person searching for your sister."

"I understand that, but it shouldn't be you." Johnny argued.

"Why?"

"Because I love you!" He shouted and then realized that Olivia was standing behind him.

"What?!" Caitlyn reacted.

"I don't love, I care… Caity, I don't have a lot of good friends an…and I just couldn't stand it if you got hurt again."

"Uh huh." She stated still shocked.

"I need to go, but…"

"I'll talk to you later." Caitlyn replied.

"When did that happen?" Olivia asked as soon as he hung up the phone. "You know, I was telling myself that you were just confused, but…"

"I didn't mean it the way it came out." Johnny defended himself. "Liv, I am in love with you."

"No, I know exactly how you meant it; I was just too blind… Don't you have some information for your boss?"

"Liv, we shouldn't leave it like this."

"Actually I think this is exactly how we need to leave it. When we got together it was under the condition of complete honestly and for as long as we avoided complications." She responded rationally.

"We've grown as a couple since a one night hook up starting at the bar of Jake's. All relationships have complications."

"I don't want to fight, just please… go." She pointed towards the door.

"If that's what you want but this isn't over." He replied grabbing his jacket. As soon as the door closed behind him he slid down against the wall with his head hung. He was berating himself for opening his mouth; he had no idea where that had come from.


	155. Chapter 155

Once the service ended the Corinthos boys went up to the alter to place the stick into the flame in order to say a silent prayer for Carly's safe return.

'Dear God.' Morgan prayed to himself. 'I'm sorry for doubting Your existence this morning. It's just hard to believe that this is a result of Your plan. Help me understand why, please! Please bring my mamma home safely, and if You have the time can You make sure Claudia and her baby are okay as well? I know, I'm still mad at her and my dad for supporting her but it doesn't mean I want her hurt.' With that he lit a candle and walked off.

"Morgan, are you okay?" Sonny approached him watching his son's bond from the back of the sanctuary.

Morgan shook his head no as his lip quivered. Sonny extended his arms out for his youngest to fall into.

"Your mom is the strongest person I know, and there's a bunch of people out looking for her right now. We're going to find her. I have my people worldwide on alert to call me if they spot her."

Michael and Dante came over to check on him. There was a silent understanding between them and Sonny to look after their little brother.

"Hey buddy, do you think I can take my boys out to lunch?" Sonny requested.

"I should go home." He replied his voice broken up looking to Michael. "We should be there if she calls, and Britni is probably missing us."

"Jason's there, and right now he's the only one she seems to respond to." Michael told him.

"I don't want her to think that I left her too." Morgan explained.

"It will be short. We'll just go to Kelly's and grab something quick." Sonny replied wanting that time with his kids.

"You need to eat kid." Dante added. They rushed out of the door in order to get to Queen of Angels before the service started.

"Okay, but quick." Morgan replied. He took Dante's hand and rushed forward. As he did Sonny hung back with Michael giving him a hug.

"How did your trip? I mean before…"

"It was good. The slopes were amazing and I got to know more about Lys, it really did bring us closer. Um… dad, I got a call from Krissy yesterday. Ric has been looking into Claudia's case."

"I know. Ric told me yesterday that he found grounds for an appeal. He's holding on it until we can bring her back and prove that the break-out was indeed a kidnapping situation."

"Prosecution is going to need Jerry alive if they are going to be able to once again prove Claudia's guilt, right?" Michael questioned.

"Probably, and if Jerry is responsible for this it is going to severely injure his credibility as a key witness. Michael, how are you?"

"Ask me again after we find mom." Michael responded. "We should go brunch, though, Morgan isn't kidding about making it quick. It was everything we could do to get him out of the house this morning."

"Are you and Dante getting along now?"

"Yeah, we always got along there was just a little bitterness when I learned that he actually was your eldest, but he's good for Morgan."

"He is. He can be the role model for him that I never could be." Sonny responded. "The guy that walked out of the business to do right by his family."

"What? You mean?"

"He quit; he's walking away. He wanted to be a good role model for you, Kristina, and Morgan."

"Wow; I didn't think you could safely do that. I mean, I know Jason is trying, and of course look how that turned out."

"You don't blame him for your mom…?"

"Not… no, not… I don't understand why she was alone, but I tell myself not focus on that." He admitted. Part of him did hold Jason responsible for looking out for her well being, but then again he couldn't expect Jason to be with her every hour of every day.

************

Matt went up to Lulu's room to find her head buried under her pillows. "I got some aspirin for you."

"This is great; I'm going to turn into an alcoholic just like my father. The next time I look at a drink remind me to say no." She replied taking the aspirin and water from his hand.

He sat on the edge of her bed rubbing her back. "It's a deal; I already called and talked to Monica. She agreed to give me some personal time."

"Why?" Lulu questioned. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Maybe not, but apparently you do need someone to remind you that they will catch you before you fall."

Lulu's eyes started to tear up. "Jason made the same promise to Carly, look how good that turned out. I won't have you putting a hold on your life."

"I made my decision based on what was right for me and, quite frankly, my patients. I love you, Lulu, and I know you're going through a hard time. Until we find Carly I am going to make sure that you get the support you require."

"Monica okayed it?"

"Yes."

"Matt, I know I probably said a lot of stupid stuff last night, but I was and am serious about wanting to be with you and not wanting to waste any time we have with each other."

"It's a reaction to…"

"I don't care. This isn't the first time I've had my eyes opened to the fact that life is too fucking short to keep proceeding with caution all the time."

"Are you sure?" Matt asked her.

Lulu nodded her head and sat up to kiss him.

***********

"Oh now that's just great." Lucky commented listening to the bed squeak above him.

"She's a grown woman." Sam reminded him. "And you're the one that declared she had to live here for the time being."

"Do you have any music in that thing?" He asked peering at her laptop.

She snickered turning on some jazz to help mask the noise. Sam had finished the tutorial and was working on building the tree based on the information she had. She was able to locate dates of death for the two older brothers. Both the youngest of the boys nor Adonia had a record of their death, and it appeared that all of the children were out there somewhere; a few of them with kids of their own.

Sam started jotting down names of family members and searching the internet to see if there were any she could find on dex online.

"Huh." Sam pointed one out to Lucky. "That's a New Hampshire number."

"Who is that?" Lucky asked examining the name.

"Damon Katsaros, the 16-year-old grandson of Ambrose Katsaros, who was Adriana's eldest brother." She pointed him out on the tree.

"Are you going to call him or should I?" Lucky asked wondering if stating he was a detective of the Port Charles Police Department would help or hinder their success in gathering information from the guy.

"I don't know if calling is the best way to get information from him. Maybe it's best to do a chance encounter."

"Sam, I don't know if that's a good idea." He objected.

"Why?"

"Because, as it seems, the Katsaros family has slipped through Helena's radar. If you go there you may open up some undue stress for them."

"I suppose you are right, but what if this kid knows something?"

"Why is a 16-year-old listed in the white pages anyway? Who is his current guardian?" Lucky questioned.

Sam threw her arms up. "Everyone has cell phones, although that's not a cell number." She observed after checking out a couple of things.

"What is it?"

"It's a dorm room of Brewster Academy prep school."

"I have an idea. Why don't you call saying you're from a credit card company offering free gifts if he were to sign up for a low interest student friendly card. You just need a little information about his guardianship, because they would of course need to sign off on it."

"Impressive cover detective." She praised him.

"Now if I could use that creativity to solve the other case I'm working on." He said glancing down at his cell; there hadn't been a peep all morning, which worried him.

***********

"Caitlyn, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jax asked finding the girl on the treadmill. It was her day off but after hearing Johnny proclaim his love she needed to do something that would allow her to process everything and she knew she would get reamed out were she to take her regular trail.

"Sure, what's going on?" She asked using a towel to wipe away the sweat.

"I was wondering if there was anything else you could tell me about the night Carly disappeared. Did you see anything? Was there anyone acting suspicious? Maybe this guy?" Jax asked putting out a picture of Jerry for her to look at.

She took it from him to study the picture but had no recollection of ever seeing him. "I'm so sorry Mr. Jacks. I wish I could do more to help; more than anything I wish I would have gone down to the garage with her. I…"

"It's not your fault, Caitlyn, and I never meant to insinuate that it was. I'm glad that you didn't go with her. I have no idea what Jerry, or anyone else, would have done if they caught a witness."

"He's right." Olivia stepped in. "Anyone else going down there that night may have created a blood bath."

"Olivia, hi." Caitlyn reacted to seeing her.

"Jax, can we have a minute?" She asked feeling the girls' discomfort. He graciously backed away.

"You heard it?" Caitlyn assumed.

"Yes. I was there. I think it's pretty safe to say that whatever was between myself and Johnny is over, and by no means am I blaming you for anything, but for my son's sake I am asking you to be honest with yourself on how you feel."

Caitlyn took a deep breath; that was exactly what she was attempting to do. "How do you know when you're in love with someone?" She asked honestly; she swore what she felt for Dante was love. She wanted to be around him all the time, she cared about who he was and what he wanted, being in his grasp made her feel safe and warm.

"I think you just know; you have this feeling and you could shout it from the rooftop."

Caitlyn snickered, 'like Johnny did?' She thought. "I just… this isn't going to effect our working relationship, is it?"

Olivia shook her head. "No; you are fantastic at your job, and I wouldn't dare… but as a mother I do have that instinct to protect my little boy so if you have doubts…"

"I promise to talk to him about them."

"That's all I ask." Olivia replied before leaving her in the gym. Caitlyn sat on the frozen treadmill more confused than when she started, but a lack of substance was leaving her without the energy to keep going.

**********

"Okay, all done, can we go?" Morgan looked up at Dante after devouring a blueberry muffin.

"Did you chew that at all?" Michael asked him.

"Yeah." He nodded his head as he finished chewing the last bite.

"Do you think you can handle waiting until the rest of us finish up?" Dante asked him.

"I suppose." Morgan hung his head.

"Morgan, how's karate going?" Sonny asked hoping to engage him.

"I haven't had any class since break started. School is supposed to start back up tomorrow, but Jason said that he would call the school to arrange for me to stay home for a little bit; just until mom gets back."

"That's nice of Jason." Sonny replied still feeling the sting of rejection.

"It's nice having him around all the time. I wish he had gotten the chance to ask mom to marry him."

"Yeah, your mom would have liked that too." Sonny responded.

"Maybe we should talk about something else." Michael cut in feeling his dad's discomfort.

"Why?" Morgan questioned. "When mom and Jason get married I'm still going to keep my same last night like I did when she married Jax; it'd be kind of weird being Morgan Stone Morgan."

"I don't know there's kind of a ring to that." Dante teased.

Sonny looked away attempting to avoid displaying his own lament. As he did he saw Johnny standing in the window trying to get his attention. "Boys, I'm going to be right back. Finish up without me."

"Dad?" Michael questioned, and then saw what he had. "So dad says you left the business." Michael turned to Dante.

"You did?" Morgan asked perking up.

"I didn't feel that it was right for me." Dante confirmed.

"What's going on?" Sonny asked Johnny.

"I got a tip on who might be hosted my dad and company." Johnny replied. "Apparently Mateo Vasquez is a close cousin to Joey Limbo. I had it confirmed with Spinelli, there mothers are sisters."

"The Spanish arms dealer?" Sonny clarified.

"That's the one. He has an estate in Madrid; it's like a fortress to get through. From what I understand it's just him and his wife." Johnny replied.

"Good work, have Bernie fly out Romero to steak out Vasquez. If he can bug the main line that would be great; I want to know his every movement and anyone he comes in contact with."

"Consider it done." Johnny replied.


	156. Chapter 156

"Hello, may I speak to a David Kistamos?" Sam asked purposefully messing up the name.

"This is Damon Katsaros." He corrected her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Katsaros my name is Judith Ambrose…"

"Ambrose? That was my grandfather's name." He responded.

"Really? It's a strong Greek name meaning…"

"Immortal." Damon cut in. "I know; he really was. Up until the year that he died he was out kayaking the Ionian."

"Sounds like a great man; do you have a close knit family?" Sam prodded seeing that he brought it up.

"Yeah, we're close. I'm sorry, what was it you were calling about?"

"I was calling about a special we at Chase offer students. It's a low interest starter card."

"You know, I'm only sixteen I don't think it's a good idea…"

"Have you ever been to Greece?" Sam asked him.

"Yes; it's where I'm originally from." He replied.

"Oh, so I don't suppose you would be interested in frequent flyer miles that could send you home for your break while you are paying off your school books?"

"I don't know… really? What would I need to do?"

"I would just need some basic information from you Mr. Katsaros to send out the application. Where are you currently residing?"

"I'm living in the campus dorms. 264 W. Main Street." He replied.

"And your parents, are they around?"

"Um… they are in Greece, my aunt she lives here in New Hamshire. She has power as my legal guardian here."

"And what's her name?" Sam questioned.

"Lisa Christian, spelt just like the religion." He replied.

"Can I get her address to send out the application?"

"Sure it is 7228 N. Elm Street. Manchester, New Hampshire 03104."

"Thank you, that's all for now. I look forward to future business with you." Sam ended the conversation.

"Well, thank you, but this isn't committing me to anything right? I still have the opportunity to talk it over with my aunt."

"Absolutely." Sam replied.

"Okay, you have a good day Ms. Ambrose."

"You too." She replied before hanging up.

"So?" Lucky asked Sam expectantly.

"Can you show me a Lisa Christian on this thing?" Sam asked him pointing at the family tree.

"No, I'm not seeing it. Why?"

"Because that is the name he gave me for his legal guardian, an aunt."

"Maybe to him this aunt is just a friend of the family. Nikolas considers Bobbie his aunt but there's no actual blood ties."

"Or what if Lisa Christian was actually born Calista Krischnan?" She posed an alternate scenario. "They would technically be second cousins, but…"

"It's worth looking into. My God, if you're right that would make her, for all intents and purposes, the sister of the man formally known as Valentin Cassadine."

***********

"Jax, do you have a minute?" Olivia asked stepping into his office.

"Several, actually. You look like you could use a friend." He observed.

She hadn't let herself process the morning yet. As he stood there inviting her into his hug she felt her throat tighten up and released all her pent up frustration in a sob.

"What's wrong? Did you get news about Carly?"

She shook her head no.

"Did Zacchara hurt you? I knew that kid was no good. He did the same thing to Lulu; ropes you in and tosses you out."

"I broke up with him." She responded.

"Oh, what? Why?" Jax questioned.

"Because he's in love with someone else." She cried.

"Are you kidding? How could he look at another woman when he's with you?"

"You're too kind; what would Alexis say if she heard that?"

"She would say that he was right." Alexis commented standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry to intrude."

"No, I'm sorry for using your boyfriend as a sounding board." She wiped away tears.

"Nonsense, what happened?" Alexis replied.

"I think I always knew eventually the age thing was going to catch up; he's going to want a family, and…"

"Is that what he said? He wants kids?" Jax questioned.

"No." She rolled her eyes. "What he said was that he loved another woman, and then tried to back-track, and claimed that he was _in_ love with me. But I heard it; he said it with some serious conviction."

"Who is this woman? Does she feel the same way?" Alexis asked.

"Does it matter?" Olivia countered. "His heart is with someone else…"

"Are you sure about that? You did this same thing with Sonny. You thought he was so in love with Connie that you just let him have it just to find out over 20-years later if you really would have wanted…" Jax argued.

"I'm not going to fight someone for their attention, and I'm going to stay in a relationship where I'm not wanted." She demanded.

"Okay, I get that, but when I told you and me and Carly's divorce you advised me to go down to South Carolina and talk it through with her. I'm suggesting the same thing."

"How did that work out for you? You still got your divorce."

"Yes; but at least I knew for sure where we both stood. Give yourself some time to think it over and then talk to him." Jax suggested.

"I agree with him." Alexis said as Olivia turned to her.

***********

Jason sat on the couch nodded off as Britni slept in his arms. He was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally and wasn't sure how long he could continue that way without her. The knock on the front door startled him up.

"Anna?" He said surprised. "Come on in."

"I have those reports you were asking for. Awe, isn't she precious, can I hold her?" Anna extended her arms for Jason to transfer her over as he looked through the 5 pages of flights.

"And these are all after six o'clock?"

"Yes, but I didn't take out the intercontinental ones because there was always that chance of a connecting flight."

"Yeah, but how would we be able to find out where they connected to?" Jason argued.

"I suppose we cross off any major high security ports." She sat down on the couch next to him. "Which would take out that one, that one, that one, that one, oh and that one." She continued pointing stuff out.

"If we're avoiding Corinthos/Zacchara people you can pretty cut out Central and South America, the whole Caribbean, and most of South Eastern Europe."

"Again due to security and high traffic I would rule out Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Cairo, Moscow, and Sydney."

"Well that sure narrows it down." Jason said as he crossed off the cities called.

"What are we narrowing down?" Michael asked as he and Morgan came home.

"Hi, Ms. Devane." Morgan greeted her. "Have you heard from mom?"

"Not yet, bud, but we're brainstorming."

"Can we help?" Michael volunteered.

"Sure; you don't think Jerry would bring to Canada, do you?" Jason asked.

"No; but what about Iceland?" Michael asked looking at the list.

"That's a possibility." They all confirmed. Michael ran to his backpack to pull out a highlighter pen. Amongst their top choices they stuck to Islands off the coast of the major continents; the Philippians, smaller cities of Japan, the UK, and Ireland, New Guinea, New Zealand, Guam, Madagascar.

"Where do we go from here?" Michael asked studying the list again.

"I would say probably somewhere where they looked like they fit in." Morgan replied.

"What about language?" Jason posed.

Anna shrugged. "Most everywhere speaks at least some English, except maybe off of Africa."

***********

Caitlyn stood outside of Elizabeth's door knocking, hoping that she would be inside. After about thirty seconds it was her brother that answered it for her.

"What's going on?" He hesitantly asked.

"Girl talk?" She responded.

"Liz is on the phone with Cam; she should be off in a bit."

"Cam?" Caitlyn's eyes perked up.

"Would you like to talk to him?" Zander volunteered getting the hint. "Okay, I'll let her know."

Caitlyn sat on the living room couch trying to come up with what she was going to say to Liz. It was an impulse to come over but she knew she had to talk to someone about it before she went to Dante to talk. Liz came out shortly an introduced her passing the phone over to Caitlyn.

"Hi Cam; how's everything going with your Grandma?"

"It's good, only we didn't get to do anything today because Jakey caught the bug that Spencer had the other day."

"Ewe, that's not good. Are you helping Grandma take care of them?"

"No, I don't want to get sick."

"Well, I suppose that's a good idea. Make sure you keep washing your hands." She advised them.

"Okay, I have to go Serena just put in a movie." He stated.

"Oh, okay, well I'll talk to you soon."

"I love you!" Cam replied.

"I love you, too, you have fun." She responded before hanging up. "Who's Serena?"

"Serena is Scott Baldwin's daughter." Liz replied. "Apparently Laura is still seeing him pretty frequently. She doesn't want Lucky and Nikolas finding out about it because they can't stand him."

"Oh."

"So, what did you need to talk about? Is this another Johnny/Dante situation?"

"Yes." She admitted. "I thought that I loved Dante, and I do, and that just doesn't make sense. Okay, start over. I do love Dante, but I also really care about Johnny. I think as a friend, but I've never felt that close to a friend before…"

"Okay?" Liz questioned where she was going.

"Johnny told me that he loved me today, and I don't know if he meant it as he cared about as a good friend, or if…"

"He's falling for you." Liz finished the thought.

"Exactly, I mean he turned and starting back tracking really quickly."

"Which typically means he meant it just the it came out. So, how did that make you feel?"

"Honestly? Confused. I…I don't know. I think it was easier when I knew he had this girlfriend, because then he was off limits; I wasn't allowed to feel anything like that. You know, why am I doing this? Dante is perfect, he's exactly what I want and now that he's out of the business I don't have to live the constant worry…"

"What? Dante's out?" Liz questioned.

"Yeah; he didn't want the people he cared about to get hurt. He took that step, and I think it's amazing."

"You have no idea how true that is." Liz replied remembering hoping that Jason would open his eyes and would take that chance for Jake. It wasn't until Carly needed it that he finally stepped down from the organization.

"Okay, you're right I just need to talk this over with Dante. Hearing Johnny say that doesn't change anything on my end."

Liz looked at her confused; she didn't recall ever suggesting that although she did agree it was a good idea. "I'm happy I could be of assistance. Would you like to stay for dinner before you took off?"

"I guess; if you don't mind."

"No problem. I'm just ordering in some ribs."

"Great!" She replied. "Let me make a quick call to Dante first."

***********

After spending hours debating how to narrow the options to the top four and watching Morgan fall asleep on the couch they decided to call it a night. Jason knew that Britni wasn't going to be sleeping for too much longer and Anna wanted to get back to the Drake household to keep an evening watch. At about two o'clock in the morning Jason finally hit a decent REM sleep.

_He saw Carly standing on the deck of the boat under the night's sky looking up at the same moon that shown over him. She was making a wish on the brightest sky that she would find her way home. The air was warm as she wore a sleek white sun dress that rustled around in the wind. She appeared tired and sad; ripped away from her family like the pendant that had been torn away from her neck. He didn't want it there. He didn't want her to have any reminders of the life he was taking her from. He told her that when she signed away her marriage she signed away her right to her family. He was willing to let his brother take her from him, but not Jason, he didn't deserve her and she would eventually learn that. She was told to be happy knowing that he was out there somewhere alive while she lived her life with him._

_ The wind was picking up as the boat rocked harder against the waves. Jason watched begging her to go inside, but she couldn't. She couldn't handle feeling suffocated by his presence. Being out there; seeing the moon gave her comfort that no matter the distance they would never truly be apart. A wave splashed tough causing the ship to tilt back as Carly held on to the sterns edge. She panted in worry as the waves in the distance got larger and stronger as the approached. _

_ One caught the boat just right tilting it back at a 90 degree angle. Caught off guard Carly was thrown back the base of her head smacked hard against the wooden side. Another wave hit just as powerful not giving the ship the opportunity to recover it sunk into the sea. Carly's eyes rolled up into her skull as she sunk into the depths the dress pillowing around her. _

"No!" Jason screamed sitting up in panic. His entire body was shaking as he slowly urged himself to count to ten. As he didn't the ear piercing scream of the infant blasted through the monitor as if he needed one to hear her. Jason raced into the nursery to pick her up and cradle her in his arms. "It was just a dream." He said in attempt to convince her; brushing his hand through her silky hair, and then repeated; "It was just a dream," in order to convince himself.


	157. Chapter 157

Jason couldn't fall asleep after that. For one, Britni wasn't going stand for it if she was anywhere but right up against him and two, whenever his eyelids fell he saw the picture haunt his unconscious. He sat for hours on the glider reading from his book on Africa that had worked so well when Michael had been that age to keep her pacified.

"Jason, Lucky is at the door asking for you." Michael came into the nursery.

"Um…. Okay, would you take your sister? Just hold her as close as you can, and try reading to her." Jason instructed.

"It looks bad…" Michael told him. He was supposed to be getting ready soon for school to start up; unlike Morgan the idea of going and keeping his mind off of everything appealed to him.

Jason came downstairs to see Lucky standing before him with matching purple bags under his eyes; only his had a hint of redness and puffiness to his. "What's going on?"

"The station got a call this morning from the coastguard. There was a major storm in the Indian Ocean; a ship went down about 50km off the coast of Perth, Australia. It sounds like it was coming from New Zealand. Rescuers have been out there all morning; it looks like they're going to lift the wreckage." Lucky explained.

"Okay." Jason responded.

"Jason, when you called last night you said that you narrowed it down to the top four likely locations, among them was…"

"New Zealand. Yes, I recall that."

"You know what this sounds like?"

"No, I don't." Jason shook his head. "We haven't heard anything from Carly in over 72 hours; one ship goes down and all of the sudden you're assuming she was on it? Are you trying to give up, Lucky?"

"No, Jason, I just have a feeling about this. I thought you would want to know."

"Just, please don't start spreading this around unless there's actual evidence…"

"I'll let you know if anything turns up from the ship."

***********

"Jax, can I offer you anything?" Alexis asked wrapping her arms over his shoulders as he sat down in front of the computer screen. His mom had called him early in order to tell him about a ship going down in the area. She had heard the reports come in that morning as it was guessed the ship was sailing from New Zealand making its way to either Perth or one of the surrounding Islands.

Jax shook his head no. "Reports say that the rescue boats have been out all morning, no one has been retrieved."

"I think you might be jumping the gun a little bit."

"I got a message from Jason last night asking which location would be more probable; Iceland, Guam, New Zealand, and New Guinea."

"Why would Jerry take her to Australia knowing the influence you have over there?" She argued.

"I don't think he was. Rottnest Island is about 22km off the coast of Perth; it's small but habitable. He would know the area yet still feel secluded enough."

"You don't know any of this to be true. Let's just wait until the boat is salvaged and see what the report comes up with before calling yourself a widower."

**********

"Explain to me again why it is that I'm nervous?" Zander asked as he fidgeted with his tie.

"Because you are going to a job interview." Liz explained as she fixed it for him. "That unsettles everyone's nerves, but don't worry you will do great."

"Yeah, up until the point they ask for a background check."

"The chief of staff is well aware of your history Zander. Just answer the questions confidently and they will love you as much as I do." She pulled him in for a kiss.

"You love me?" He questioned.

"Eh, I suppose." She kidded. "Yes, I love you."

"You haven't said that before."

"Maybe because I'm having a hard time believing this is real; I don't exactly have a good history of happy, healthy relationships. Besides; I figured if Johnny Zacchara could declare his love to your sister…"

"Don't even get me started on that." He warned. "Just as I start to warm up to the idea of Dante, then that curve ball gets thrown in?"

"She's young; you know she's going to…"

"Turn it into a complete mess. Yes, I know, but I should leave. I wouldn't want to be late." He replied kissing her again as he stood up.

"Good luck." She encouraged him as she threw and apple his direction.

***********

"Dante, are you going to say something?" Caitlyn asked him.

"I'm going to kill him." He responded. "If falling for my girlfriend wasn't bad enough, he hurt my ma."

"He's confused, don't hurt him. I swear, I don't think he set out to hurt anyone."

"I don't care; he did. I just got off the phone with my ma and no matter how much she denies it I can tell that she's heartbroken."

"I'm sorry…"

"You didn't do anything; this is all on him."

"That's not fair." She objected.

"Isn't it? It's not like you reciprocate the feelings, right?"

"No… no." She denied.

"See." He brought her in to kiss him. "I do have one request; it's not that I don't trust you, but for the time being maybe it is best if you stay away from Johnny Zacchara."

"Are you serious? He has to be feeling like he's walking alone in this world right now. He and Sonny barely tolerate each other, his sister is gone, he and Olivia just broke up…"

"Because he claimed his love for you! Caitlyn, you're not responsible for shouldering his problems. Like I said, it's a request; I'm not going to tell you what to do…"

"So this isn't some kind of ultimatum?"

"No." He replied, but hoping she'd want to comply anyway.

"Okay, good. I need to go to work but I'll be home early. Can you take Ali out this afternoon?"

"Sure… maybe that's what I should do, be a dog walker." He teased.

"You'll figure something out." She smirked before leaving.

***********

"Spencer, how are you holding up?" Cruz asked his partner as Lucky sat down at his desk.

"Just give me the call when it comes in." Lucky requested.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lieutenant Johnson approached his desk. "I hate to say it detective, but you look awful. I would completely understand if you wanted to take a sick day. I'm sure the commissioner would back me on that one."

Lucky shook his head no. "I… I have to keep busy; my paperwork is piling up."

"It's not worth it to do it now if you're just going to have to do it all over again." The Lieutenant argued.

"I'm fine!" Lucky yelled causing the whole department to turn. "Okay, maybe I am a little on edge."

"Spencer, it's for you." Harper held out the phone pushing the button to transfer.


	158. Chapter 158

"Jason, come on, I'm going to find out one way or another and I'd appreciate it if it came from you and not some jerks at school." Michael pleaded.

"Maybe you shouldn't go today. Your teachers, they would understand." Jason replied.

"Okay, now you're really scaring me. Did Lucky find something out about mom?"

"Did he?" Morgan asked standing at the base of the stairs in his pajamas.

"I don't know, but rumors are going to be flying around and I don't want you exposed to that."

"What kind of rumors?" Michael prodded.

"We promised to be honest." Morgan added.

"Rumors about a shipwreck off the coast of Australia; the probability that Carly and Jerry were on that exact boat is, I don't know, one and a really big number."

"Of course, yesterday we were convinced that she flew. Why would anyone think she was on boat out in Australia?" Michael questioned.

"I don't know, Lucky seems to think that since it came from New Zealand…"

"Isn't that where we said mom probably landed?" Morgan questioned softly.

Jason sat awkwardly searching for the perfect response. Somehow 'we don't know anything' just didn't sound good enough. With that another knock was heard at the door. Michael got up again to answer it and again it was Lucky.

"Boys, can I speak to Jason alone?" Lucky requested.

"No; I'm not leaving." Michael stood his ground eager to hear anything Lucky may have on the location of his mother.

"Michael, go bring your brother and sister upstairs." Jason demanded handing the infant off to him. Hearing the tone in Jason's voice Michael knew better than to argue.

"Do you mind if I take a seat?"

Jason reached his hand out in offering. "What do you have for me this time?"

"The boat was retrieved and no remains found in the wreckage. The ship was pretty messed up, but they did find a dent in the wood paneling of the stern that they believe was caused by contact with a human skull. There were some blonde hairs found in the paint chips as well as traces of blood."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jason questioned holding down the knot forming at his Adam's apple.

"There's a forensic physicist that worked out the calculations, based on the velocity required to leave that mark whoever made it would have been knocked instantly unconscious. Jason, where are you going?" Lucky questioned as he got up to walk out.

After moments of pondering following him Jason returned with a hair brush. "I assume this is what you came here for."

"I'll run it over to General Hospital they apparently can do a computer analysis over two separate locations." Lucky informed him. "I'll…" He hesitated in saying that he'd be back, that was the last thing he wanted.

"Later." Jason acknowledged his hesitance.

************

"Lucky, what are you doing here?" Lulu asked him at the hospital entrance.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I decided to go to work. Maxie needed the help and we were working with the new guy at a shoot when one of the models passed out due to dehydration. Matt is here with me; he was just checking on his mailbox. So, what are you doing here? You didn't say anything when you bolted out this morning."

"I just need a test to be run."

"What test?" Lulu questioned and then saw the plastic bag in his pocket. She snatched it out to look at it. "What is this? This is Carly's."

"Lulu… um, the Australian coast guards think they made have found proof…"

"This is for a DNA test."

Lucky nodded his head in confirmation.

"Lucky?" Her lip quivered. "No… please, God, NO!"

Matt came running at the sound of her wail; he rushed towards her as her brother stood frozen catching her before she sunk down to the sidewalk.

"We don't know for sure." Lucky finally said as a group formed around the inconsolable woman.

"Lucky, do you have it?" Robin questioned standing right behind him with Patrick nearby. He handed her the bag that Lulu had dropped in front. Dr. Winters was called and she sat next to Matt who held onto his girlfriend.

"Everyone, let's clear out. We can't be blocking the entrance." Monica instructed pushing away doctors, nurses, and patients who were intrigued by the commotion. "Matt, Lainey, is there anyway you could bring her inside?"

Matt nodded, picking up her limp body as she sobbed uncontrollably. Lainey directed him into her office to let her calm down and wait for the results to come in.

"I'll get these back to lab if you want to call Maxie." Patrick volunteered Robin.

"Lucky is there anyone else we should call?" Robin asked him.

He shook his head trying to think clearly enough to answer. "Nikolas would probably want to stay with Lulu."

"What about you?"

"Until we get the results…" He stopped himself from going further.

"Would it help if Sam was here when they came in?"

Lucky nodded.

***********

"I'm sorry about the delay Zander there was something I needed to deal with." Monica explained before taking a seat. "This is Carl Roe; he's the head of the information technology at the hospital."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Roe." Zander held out his hand to shake.

"Please, call me Carl. I have to admit, your resume is impressive. An associates in IT and five different Microsoft certifications?"

"I had a lot of time on my hands, and really found my knack for it." Zander admitted.

"That's great. I'm sure Dr. Quartermaine has already shown you around the premises. Everything is technologically driven. All charts and records are backed up daily at our off site data center. Your job would be to make sure the computers here and there are communicating with each other while doing the daily back up of the discs."

"It sounds very similar to what I was doing in Colorado."

"That's what I thought." Carl responded. "This is why I already took it upon myself to check out the references. They were glowing, and I'll be honest, I want to hire."

"I want to accept." Zander smirked.

"Wonderful. Dr. Quartermaine would you be able to grab the I9 and hire paperwork?"

"Yes, I'll be right back. Congratulations!"

***********

"Hi Coleman." Sam walked into the bar hoping to sit down for a drink. Lucky had left in a hurry that morning and she knew going into it that was going to be a long day.

"First drink at noon? What seems to be the trouble?" Coleman asked her.

Sam looked over at the table that still had the candles set out for the dinner.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I left the bar closed through the holiday weekend. It just didn't feel right. If you want to see something depressing you should try looking upstairs."

"I think I'll pass. Just hand me a brew."

"One beer for the lady coming up." He pulled off the cap.

"I thought I saw your car out there. What's going on?" Nikolas came inside.

"I was passing by and saw Jake's was open, so… I thought, why not?"

"I could probably come up with a couple of reasons, but I don't think you need my advice." He stated as he felt his phone vibrating. "I swear this thing rings non-stop and less than 1/16th of the time the content is of little value. Hello?" Nikolas answered.

"Nikolas, how soon could you get to the hospital?" Robin asked him.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nobody has been hurt, well… that's not entirely true." She replied and proceeded by explaining the shipwreck story. "The results should be in soon and your siblings could use your support. I don't suppose you know where Sam…?"

"She's sitting right here. I will let her know." Nikolas replied.

"I heard." Sam nodded as soon as he got off.

***********

"Johnny." Caitlyn ran into him after her shift was through.

He had been meaning to talk to Olivia, but struggled with the idea of going to her work not wanting to upset or distract her. "Caity, I…"

"Did you follow up on that Claudia lead?" She decided to guide the conversation.

"I did, and I think you were dead on."

"That's great; maybe Marnie and I should start our own investigative agency."

"No; I already told you, this is as far you go with this digging into mob activity. Got it?" He warned her. "You shouldn't even be talking to me; I mean now that Dante is out if you're really going to be safe."

"Wow, you are the second person today telling me to stay away from you. If that's what you want I will walk away right now."

"What I want has nothing to do with this." Johnny told her as they strolled over to the docks.

"What do you mean it has nothing to do with it? Isn't that what life really is? Following your heart and taking the leaps as they happen?"

"And roll over everyone else in the process? I don't think so." He rebutted.

"If I walk away can you guarantee me that you're going to have someone to talk to and laugh with and make you smile every once in a while?" She posed. "Because it really would be a shame…."

He focused on watching her lips move as he inched forward. The insatiable need to meet his lips with hers had never been so strong as it was at that moment.

"Johnny, what are you…?" She asked feeling the chemistry pull them together. "No, we shouldn't." She half-heartedly resisted before pulling wrapping her arms around him. Johnny made the last move pressing together as their lips danced around rhythmically.


	159. Chapter 159

"Where's Lucky?" Sam asked running up to Epiphany at the nurse's station.

"And Lulu?" Nikolas added.

"Lucky is right over there." She pointed to the front waiting area. "And Lulu is in Dr. Winters' office. She had to give her sedative to calm her down."

"Have the results come back yet?" Nikolas asked.

"No, not yet, but they should be out any second. Would you want to take a seat next to him? That is going to be Dr. Drake's first stop."

They caught the suggestion and moved next to him. Sam grabbed Lucky's hand and squeezed. He gave an acknowledgement grasp back. As Robin made her way out of the lab all eyes were peered towards her. She felt like she was walking into her own execution.

"I ran it twice, as did they in Perth." Robin announced. "I'm sorry, it came back positive."

Lucky rubbed his hands over his eyes trying to cover up the tears that were falling. Sam grabbed onto his free arms and leaned against his shoulder.

"Lucky is there anything I can do for you before talking to Lulu?" Nikolas offered.

He shook his head no; not trusting the sound of his own voice. "Wait, after, can you call my dad and see if he'll go visit Aunt Bobbie and Lucas?"

"I'll call Jax." Robin volunteered.

"And I should go see Jason and the boys." Lucky stood up from his seat.

"I'll go with you." Sam replied.

"No, stay here with Lulu and Nikolas. Take my phone, if anyone calls let them know. I'll be right back." He sniffled. Sam caught him in a hug before letting him walk away.

***********

"What are you… are you okay?" Monica asked Patrick who had just set down the phone with tears brimming in his eyes.

"No." He answered.

"Oh God, the results came back." Monica gathered. "Is there anyway she could have survived?"

"I'm working on that right now." Patrick replied.

"Okay, I will leave you to it." She backed out running into Zander who had just finished up the paperwork.

"Who died?" Zander questioned sarcastically as he saw the look of horror on Monica's face. "Okay, now really, who… who died? Monica?"

Her face contorted as she tried to hold back her own tears. "Evidence suggests that Carly Jacks passed away last night."

"What kind of evidence? Is there a body, because without that there's no proof…"

"No, there's no body." Monica explained.

"Then how could you possibly know that?"

Monica explained what she knew about the boat crashing and the DNA proof that Carly was on it.

"No, that doesn't matter she's come back from the dead before, she'll… Don't look at me like I'm crazy, I'm not."

"I want to believe it too, Zander. My son is in love with her, her son is my grandchild, and her mother is my best friend."

***********

Lucky walked up to the door for the third time in one day, but this time he dreaded it more than ever. He hated this part of the job when it was a stranger, but this was his cousin, his family. Michael gasped as he saw Lucky standing there. After the last visit he was convinced he wasn't going to school that day.

"Come on in, this time I'm not leaving. Whatever you have to tell Jason you can tell me too." Michael demanded.

Lucky stepped in avoiding the pleasantries this time. "The DNA test was a match, it has been confirmed that Carly was on the boat." He skipped the part where her head probably bounced off the side of the boat like a ping pong ball as he felt it not important. The facts were that she was on that boat and was knocked unconscious before hitting the water. There had been no retrieval of survivors found anywhere.

"Thank you for the update." Jason responded.

"Jason, you know what this means?" Lucky prodded taken back by his apathy.

"I know what you think it means."

Lucky wanted to argue but Jason had the prerogative to grieve at his own pace in his own time. "I won't keep you. I have Sam giving the update on the DNA results."

"Okay." Jason replied.

***********

"I just want to go home." Lulu cried on Matt's shoulder after Nikolas delivered the news.

"Lulu would you like a prescription of tranquilizers in case you need one later?" Lainey asked her.

"I'm not crazy." Lulu objected.

"And I am not saying that you are. You were delivered a huge blow today, and grieving is completely normal, but if you want something to help I prefer one tranquilizer before drinking yourself silly." Lainey explained.

"I agree with her." Matt said stroking through her long blonde hair.

"Okay, yeah." Lulu agreed. She liked that it helped her feel calmer with out completely knocking her out and losing control of her senses.

"Lucky should be back soon we can go back to the house then." Sam told her.

"I can't believe this is real; someone needs to tell Jax, and dad, and Lucas, Aunt Bobbie." Lulu started listing off names.

"Don't worry about that; it's being taken care of. Nikolas stepped outside to call Luke right now to pass is it on to his sister and nephew." Sam explained.

"What about Ethan?" Lulu inquired.

"If he's with your dad then he'll know; otherwise I will make sure the information gets out to him."

"And Sonny? Olivia?"

"Lulu, it's not your job to worry about everybody, just take care of yourself." Sam urged.

***********

"Let's get one thing straight, Michael, no one, and I mean no one, gets to tell you what you believe." Jason assured him after Lucky left.

"What are you doing Jason?" Jax asked busting through the front door.

"I'm talking to Michael, why on earth are you here?"

"I thought it would be best for the family to bring some stability. Obviously I didn't come a moment too soon. These kids need more than you can give them, Jason. You're living in your own world of denial and trust me I get that, but it's not fair for them. You don't know what it is like wanting to believe that someone is out there, chasing a ghost only to have her turn around and be some stranger that you've frightened half to death. You wake up every morning struggling to hang on to hope, only to break a little more each night."

"That's really moving Jax, but I think there's something you're missing; Brenda is alive!" Jason replied back.

"But Carly's not." Jax countered.

"What? What are you talking about? Michael? Jason?" Morgan looked at all their faces only to dart away running full speed out of the house.

Jason released three days of pent up anger and frustration with a fist to Jax' face sending him stumbling back. Michael's jaw fell in shock. He had never seen that side of Jason; he knew it existed after the couple of times he saw Jason come home with a bruise to the face but he and mom refused to tell him where Jason had gotten it from.

Jax got his composure before standing up. Based on Morgan's reaction he was willing to let Jason get away with the one swing. "Michael, do you think you should go after your brother?" Jax suggested.

Michael scoffed. "I don't think he wants to look at any one of right now. Quite frankly I don't blame him. Excuse me as I go upstairs to check on my sister."

"I'm not meaning to be the bad guy, but I think we can both agree that it's better that I retain custody of the kids than Sonny." Jax pleaded his case to Jason.

"You signed the divorce papers this house…"

"They weren't filed. After Carly disappeared Alexis thought it would be better if we held off until we knew she was back safely at home."

"No, no, you held off in the event that she didn't make it back home. Wow, this is really something, your brother takes the love of my life away from me and you decide to go for the rest?"

"I think it's better…"

"Better for who?!" Jason shouted. "You know, you're right this is your house, and your daughter, and I can't be here right now."

Michael hung on the top landing holding Britni as he watched Jason push his way past Jax on his way out. "There's some ice in the fridge for that eye."

***********

"Zacchara, get your hands off of her!" Dante shouted finding Johnny and Caitlyn kissing on the pier.

"Dante, I'm so sorry…" Caitlyn backed off and as she did Dante starting swinging his fists towards Johnny knocking to the ground where they wrestled around. "Okay, stop it now!" Caitlyn screamed urging them to desist.

It was until the muffled cries of a little boy approached the harbor that the fight halted.

"Morgan?" Caitlyn recognized him first. "Morgan what's wrong?" She invited him into her arms.

"My mamma's gone." He sobbed leaving tear stains in her abdomen.

"What do you mean?" Dante questioned the boy while rubbing his back. He was crying too hard to respond. Instead Johnny took out his phone to call Lucky, the designated contact person.

"Sam?" Johnny questioned to the sound of her voice. "Have you heard more about Carly?"

Johnny listened as Sam repeated the information to him. She kept thinking each time she said it that it would somehow get easier but it never did. The expression on his face as he heard the news told Dante and Caitlyn everything they needed to know.

"Hey bud, I know that you're upset but you shouldn't be out here by yourself." Dante said continuing to attempt to console him through touch.

"We should take you home." Caitlyn racked through his hair.

"I don't want to go home." He sobbed. He was waiting there night and day hoping that she would call; now that he knew that wasn't a possibility he didn't want anywhere near that place. He looked up at Caitlyn, his eyes completely red. "Can I stay with you?"

"I'm going to have Johnny call Jason to make sure that's okay, but yeah, I don't have a problem with that." She replied nodding to Johnny to do as she promised.


	160. Chapter 160

After spending the evening with her brother and son the night before Bobbie drove herself to work in the morning. As she walked in to the main nurse's station her colleagues all looked to her in bewilderment. Robin took the initiative to walk up to her and take her aside.

"Bobbie, what are you doing here?"

She looked down at her scrubs as if it was obvious. "Going to work."

"Monica has given you bereavement time."

"And I have told her that I appreciate that, but I'm not in need of bereavement." Bobbie said pushing away from Robin. Elizabeth and Epiphany stood at the station. "I know what you all are thinking, but you don't have to. Carly's coming back."

"No she isn't." Patrick stated butting into the conversation.

Bobbie shook her head. "I get that you are a brilliant doctor, and you get a certain high and mighty feel off of playing God on a daily basis, but Patrick Drake, you are not God you cannot know that."

"Yes, I can." He replied solemnly but confidently. "Your daughter was recovering from emergency brain surgery and suffering from a fatal blood condition. With the way she hit her head she would have needed immediate medical attention in order to survive. There's only a handful of doctors worldwide practicing and not that would have been able to conquer that procedure successfully. I talked to them all yesterday."

"There's new doctor's extending their credentials everyday." Bobbie argued.

Patrick stopped her. "Bobbie I wanted to find a loop hole; I wanted to believe…"

"You don't have to try. You just have to hold on." She described feeling herself break. Patrick came over to hold her.

************

Emotions were running high at the Spencer household. Lucky and Lulu both took the days off of their respective jobs and Sam and Matt stayed put for support. After pleading to his mom to stay home Lucas went over in order to spend some time with his family. Lucas, Lulu, and Matt sat on the couch looking through photo albums of holidays and vacations spent together.

"Lucky, do you want to talk?" Sam asked after coming out of the shower. He was seated still on the edge of his bed working up the ambition to go downstairs and be the pillar of strength everyone needed from him.

"I just got off the phone with my dad he talked to Sonny about reserving the sanctuary at the Queen of Angel's for tomorrow." Lucky replied.

"Okay, but that's not exactly what I was talking about. Lucky, what are you feeling?"

He sat silently for a moment pondering the question. "I was standing right there with my weapon drawn, a clear shot, and I went for the shoulder. I knew what he was capable of; he had just taken you hostage and threatened to kill you in front of me, and I aimed… just a little more to the right."

"You're not a killer, and this isn't your fault." Sam insisted.

"You should have seen Jason. He stayed so calm; I don't know if it is shock or denial."

"Probably a little bit of both." She replied applying some pressure to his tense shoulders.

"And Michael was right there; he didn't say anything." Lucky explained just about in tears. He wasn't sure what to expect, but not that. That was more heartbreaking then watching his sister breakdown on the steps of the hospital.

"We're all going to process this differently."

"I know, but my fear is Michael shattering when he does." Lucky described.

"He knows that his family is around if he needs them. Are you ready to go downstairs?"

"Am I ready to start the day? No, not really, but it looks like it is proceeding whether I want it to or not."

"Hey Lucky." Lulu greeted him as he made his way down. "Lucas came up with this great idea for a collage to hang up at the reception. Matt said that we can scan the pictures we want to use into the computer to hold onto the originals."

"Which one is that?" Lucky pointed to the picture in his hand.

"It's one of you and Carly taking Cam and Morgan 'trick or treating.'" She held up for him to look at.

Lucky smirked. "Cam loved going with Carly, she would teach him how to go for the good stuff."

"I remember that." Lucas nodded in agreement. His big sister had all kinds of tricks up her sleeves.

"I called mom last night. She wanted to talk to Liz before saying anything to the boys."

"That's probably a good idea." Lucky responded.

Sam was standing by the door when she heard a knock. She turned around to let both Ethan and Nikolas in as they carried in food and beverage from Kelly's.

"Apparently Ethan and I had the same idea this morning." Nikolas explained how they ran into each other at the diner. "There's an assortment of pastries, and coffee. You guys have cream and sugar here, right?"

"Yeah, I'll go get it." Sam volunteered.

"What's going on here?" Ethan asked as albums were scattered about.

"We're just working on a project; do you want to help?" Lucas offered.

"Sure, what do I do?"

"Pick out pictures of Carly that you think would look good in a collage." Matt explained.

"I'm trying to think if there are any of me and her." Ethan thought. "Well, besides from this Christmas."

"Here is one." Nikolas handed him a photo.

"Oh right, the carnival." He recalled. He had just gotten out of the dunk tank after Molly knocked him in. Tracy wanted a shot of him and Molly then urged Morgan and Carly to get in as well.

"How is Mercedes doing?" Sam asked once she returned with the coffee fixings.

Ethan shook his head; he went over to her place from the Haunted Star after Nikolas told Luke about the results. He spent a good hour letting her cry on his shoulder and then the rest of the night exchanging memories. All evening he kept wishing that he had more time to get to know his cousin. "She actually volunteered to watch Emma today. Robin said that she could bring her to daycare, but…"

"You can't not smile around that girl." Matt interjected.

************

"Thank you Father Coates for your flexibility. I'll be sure to donate an extra special offering this Sunday." Sonny ended his conversation.

"Dad, can I come in?" Michael asked poking his head into the den.

"Absolutely." Sonny stood up to greet his son with a hug. "I didn't expect to see you until tomorrow."

"What's going on tomorrow?"

"Your Uncle Luke and I were working on arrangements for a memorial service. I just got off the phone with the church." Sonny explained.

"Why would we need a memorial?" Michael questioned. "I mean why would we have a funeral if there's no dead person there? I don't get it."

"Michael, I know this is hard."

"No, it's quite simple. Without a body there's no proof that she's dead, with no proof that she's dead why we hold her funeral?"

"To give her family and friends some closure. Michael, we aren't going to find a body. If anything maybe some day remnants will wash up, but the funeral isn't about that, it's about celebrating the life she lived here and the eternal one she'll have in the hereafter."

"You've given up, haven't you? That was always your problem you never really gave mom the credit she deserved."

"I know, more than anyone, the strength your mother had. She could do anything she put her mind to. She was fierce, and courageous, and resilient."

"Stop!" Michael cried. "Stop describing her in the past tense! She's not gone. She's out there somewhere. I feel it, and I came here to ask you to help me find her. Everyone else has given up, and after Jax showed up last night Jason took off and isn't answering his phone."

"Of course you feel her. She's your mom; she's a part of you."

"Promise me that you'll keep looking." Michael requested.

Sonny took a breath. He had no idea how to reply. "I will keep my staff looking if you promise to go to that service tomorrow. For your brother's sake."

"Whatever." He agreed.

***********

"Try this." Alexis suggested handing Jax a bottle. As he held it in front of Britni she quieted enough to allow the nipple into her mouth to ingest the formula. He had spent most of the morning trying anything he could think of typically the bottle route only lasted for a couple minutes.

"What am I doing?" Jax asked in frustration. He was hoping his presence would instill some stability instead his daughter was frantic, Morgan refused to come home, and Michael was out who knows where.

"Give it time." Alexis suggested rubbing his shoulder. "I… I talked to Ric and the girls last night."

"How did that go?" Jax asked watching tears fill her eyes.

"Well, I think Ric spent the conversation biting his tongue; doing a good job of resisting saying 'I told you so.' If I would have listened to him; if I would have taken the plea bargain I could have had Jerry sitting pretty in Pentonville, and this would have never…"

"You can't know that. Hell, Pentonville just had a prison break it's not like Jerry couldn't have capitalized on that in order to do whatever he was going to do." Jax argued.

"I suppose there is some truth to that. Kristina wants to come home today. She feels like she needs to be there for her brothers."

"What did you tell her?"

"What could I tell her? I mean for her own safety I, of course, want her to stay there but she and Michael have gotten so close and she is Morgan's biological sister."

"So you said it was okay?"

"As long as the guard came with her. I didn't want her traveling on the plane by herself." Alexis replied.

"What about Helena?"

"Now that I know it is just Helena, as long as Kristina never leaves my sight it should be okay. I already have Claire filling in while I take some personal time from work."

"I can talk to Michael and Morgan about having you and Kristina stay here; the place is big enough."

"That doesn't seem like a good idea." Alexis thought. The last thing she wanted to demonstrate to the boys was that she was taking over the mother role in Carly's house.

"I would definitely get their opinion about it; I'm just thinking that there's safety in numbers. You wouldn't need to stay up every hour of every day watching over her, and honestly having Krissy here might give incentive for the boys to stay."

"I guess as long as they agree, but we'd stay in the guest room."

"Whatever you'd be most comfortable with." Jax replied.

***********

Jason spent the night riding through the New York countryside going as fast as his bike would allow. After a while he stopped paying attention to the signs indicating where he was; satisfied with the idea of getting completely lost. He wasn't sure he was in the same State anymore. The bare trees, and snow filled hills all looked the same. He wanted to feel her; he didn't care if it was fantasy or hallucination. He could settle for anything as long as she was with him, but amongst the miles traveled there was nothing; no smile, no laugh, she had somehow been ripped from his unconscious and it was at a point he was willing to swerve into the first semi he saw in order to get her back.


	161. Chapter 161

"Elizabeth?" Luke met eyes with the nurse as soon as he entered the hospital.

"She's in the lounge; you're free to go in." Elizabeth replied.

"Thank you. I knew when this hit her it was going to be like a ton of bricks falling." He stated as he followed her back.

"I can't imagine it would be easy for any mother to lose a child, and to have it be a second." Liz sympathized.

He found Bobbie in the lounge drinking a glass of water with Robin and Lainey nearby. She looked up to her big brother with bloodshot eyes. "I always thought that I would feel it; that I would know."

Luke knelt down next to her to hold her hand. "Maybe you were just resisting too hard."

"No; even now. I know logically, rationally, medically there's no possibility but she's still…" Bobbie pointed to her heart.

"That won't go away." Luke replied.

"It's not the same as with B.J. or Tony. I mean, I always have a piece of them, but this is stronger. It's unrelenting." Bobbie described.

"You mean just like Carly?" He quipped, but then proceeded with caution as he attempted not to minimize the pain she experienced after losing B.J. "It…it's going to be different with her. Come on, why don't I take you home?"

"And do what? I can't plan my baby girl's funeral."

"You won't have to. That's being taken care of. Sonny has the location and Olivia is taking care of the reception. You just need to show up, and if you need help with that I'm here. Also I'm sure Dr. Feel-good over here can probably help give you something to make the day a little bit more bearable."

"I have some good stuff." Lainey admitted.

"No doubt." Bobbie snickered. "I may just take you up on that."

"Call me anytime, Bobbie, I mean it." Lainey responded.

**********

Caitlyn sat on the couch resting her head on Dante's chest as he circled his arms around her. She knew he should be mad at her; they should be battling it out in a knock out drag out war of words, but that just didn't seem important; not with a little boy in the other room refusing to come out as he grieved his mother.

"Maybe I should try talking to him again." Dante suggested.

"Until he's ready to listen it's not going to help. What he wants to hear right now, we can't give him." Caitlyn replied.

"And what's that?"

Caitlyn snickered. "He wants to hear that everything is okay, and that is mom is on her way home; that what he overheard was a mistake…"

"I'd give anything in order to be able to tell him that." Dante responded.

"I know, me too. I told Michael and Morgan to hang on to hope and that she would fight her way back to be with them…"

Dante held onto her tighter.

"I should have gone down to that garage with her, or at least found a security guard to help her. I'm probably the last person that saw her before…"

"Okay, okay, don't! You don't get to blame yourself for a situation you had no control over. Some psycho took Carly from everyone that loves her and put her on that boat, that's not on you."

Morgan laid in the guest room in the fetal position; his head buried in a pillow as Ali rested behind his knees. She wasn't demanding any attention; it was as if she knew what he was feeling and could just be there for him without any expectations or demands.

************

"Hi Coleman." Olivia greeted the bar owner somberly.

"Are you looking for your usual?" Coleman asked looking towards the bar.

"No; this isn't, um… I've been charged with delivering a send-off celebration, and I just keep thinking about what she would want. I could do something nice and formal at the MetroCourt, but this… _this_ was Carly." Olivia explained. "Lucky is willing to use the Spencer house directly after for the family…"

"And you want me to reserve the bar for the after hour party? Yeah, I think I could do that, but for every tear I see that's a shot. If we are going to celebrate the life of the wild and crazy ex Mrs. Corinthos-Alcazar-Jacks then we're going to do it right."

"That's the spirit." Johnny said coming in. "Olivia, I'm glad I ran into you. I am so sorry."

"You know…?"

"Oh yeah, I got the pleasure of telling her nine-year-old son. The poor kid heard it blurt out that his mom was gone and ran." He explained.

"That's horrible; where's Morgan now?" Olivia questioned.

"With Caitlyn and Dante; they were their too."

"I see. Is that a bit of a shiner I see there?" She questioned touching his face.

Johnny flinched as she pressed the bruise.

"Ooh someone got you pretty good." Coleman commented as he caught Johnny in the light.

"Yeah, it was stupid." Johnny shrugged away Olivia's hand.

"How was it? I know it's none of my business anymore, but were there fireworks?" Olivia questioned. "Of course, I'm only assuming this is the result of my son's handy work."

"Liv, it doesn't matter. None of it does. Opening your heart, and letting someone in… it's stupid! It's… it's a fucked up world, and you're better off without me." Johnny stated and walked off.

Coleman looked over at Olivia curiously after Johnny's tirade. "What did I miss?"

"I think I'll have that drink." Olivia sat down at a stool.

************

"I just need to hook this up to a printer." Matt said after all the pictures were loaded.

"There's one in my study." Lucky pointed out. "Here, let me show you."

"Lulu, are you waiting for someone?" Lucas whispered to her as it seemed everyone else in the room was preoccupied with side conversation.

"No; Maxie mentioned stopping by after work, but I figured whenever… why do you ask?"

"I noticed you checking out Mr. Grandfather Clock." He pointed in that direction.

"Yeah, well, that's because it's only another 20 minutes."

"Until…?"

Lulu held up the prescription in her purse. "I never really understood dad's compulsion to drink or Lucky's addiction to pills until…" She started to tear up. Lucas nudged her over to him. "It's like my nerves are on hyper-drive and it's the only thing I can do."

"Having people here, does that help?"

She nodded her head. "It's distracting. It's just we're having fun, and telling jokes and memories and then a thought comes that I'm never going to share that with her…"

"Trust me, I know." Lucas empathized. "I think I'm still stuck in surreal world where nothing feels concrete. I keep thinking it's a dream that I'm just going to wake up from."

"You go in and out of that for awhile." Nikolas explained coming into the conversation. "I mean, I know it's probably different, but there's still mornings I wake up thinking Emily's death was just a nightmare and then I have to get up face the truth all over again."

"Just don't think you're alone." Ethan jumped in. "They say us Spencer's are a hearty breed."

"It's because we stick together." Lulu grinned holding Ethan's hand as he offered it to her. He had waited his whole life to feel that embedded in a family. His adoptive parents were great, but the bond the Spencer's shared was beyond compare.

"Hey, are we invited to the party?" Luke asked as he and Bobbie stepped into the living room. "Are you kidding? What would a party be without the Spencer siblings? Come in, have some pastries." Sam invited them. Lucas got up to greet his mom and Luke signaled for Sam to join him in the other room.

"Lucas said the Bobbie was going to work?" Sam questioned.

"She made a gallant attempt. How is the fort holding up here?"

"About as good as could be expected, I guess. You know, I always knew how close Carly was to Sonny and Jason, but she has this whole family… It's truly incredible how everyone bans together; it's no wonder that you've been able to compete head on with Helena Cassadine."

Luke shrugged. "The Cassadine's might have unlimited power and resources but the Spencer's never run short on heart. Plus we're stubborn, as in mercilessly stubborn. How is it going on the investigation of the Ice Princess?"

"I have a lead I still need to follow up on; I just know that Lucky is in no frame of mind right now to focus on that and I don't want to leave him. I figured it could wait until after the memorial."

"Let's just hope the Queen of the Damned doesn't capitalize on the tragedy."

"No; I've already spoken with Lieutenant Johnson. That church is going to be surrounded. No one is getting in there unauthorized."

************

"Michael, I've been looking all over for you." Alyssa approached him at the pool hall.

"Oh, I must have turned my phone off. Sorry, I thought you would be at school." Michael replied.

"I told my dad that I needed a mental health day."

"After one day back?" He questioned.

"My mom calls it senioritis. I tried stopping by your house and Jax said you were out. I heard about…"

"They're all wrong. My mother is not dead." Michael argued.

"I can't imagine what you are feeling right now. I think I'd want to hang on to any shred of hope…"

"No, you don't get it. She's not gone."

"Michael, the DNA test, all the police reports, the rescuers, forensic physicists, medical professionals they are all saying the same thing. Her surviving the hit alone would have been a miracle, but she lost consciousness; she wouldn't have been able to swim herself to safety."

"I don't care!" Michael screamed causing the few people in the club to turn his direction. He then whispered. "I don't care what any of that says. She would find a way to live."

"Be that the case, why hasn't she contacted anyone then?"

"Maybe she can't, maybe Jerry still has her and he set up the whole thing."

"He set up a storm?"

"No; but he would have enough knowledge to know the conditions indicating a storm, maybe they took off on a rescue boat before it hit."

"What about the damage to the stern? Ballistics say…"

"I don't know; I don't have all the answers, but they are wrong, they have to be wrong." His voice cracked.

"Michael…"

"I need her, Morgan needs her, Britni my God, and Jason is going to fall apart."

"Come here." Alyssa invited him for a hug.

"No; I can't. If I break down then I'm admitting that I'm giving up and I can't do that. She's out there and if nobody else is going to look then I will."

"And miss school, give up on college? Just to go traipsing the globe to find something you're never… She wouldn't want that."

"She wouldn't give up on me; she _didn't_ give up on me. Everyone said that it was impossible, I was never going to wake up, but that didn't stop her from continuing her search."

"Michael, she's d…"

"Don't, please don't."

************

"Have you been able to get a hold of the boys?" Alexis questioned Jax as he came back from the nursery.

"No; Morgan is refusing to talk to anyone and Michael's phone is off. I must have left five messages."

"Kristina's flight gets in another half hour, maybe it's just best that we go back to the Lakehouse."

"No." Jax said holding her hand. "Please? This isn't just about you and Kristina being protected. I need you with me right now. I can't do this without you."

"Do you know what you're asking Jax? You want this nice Brady Bunch type family, well a perverse version where the kids actually are related to each other, but I don't think that pushing that at Carly's wake is a good idea."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. I don't know how to be a single father, and I sure don't know how to get those boys through this." He lamented. "I truly believe that having their sister here…"

"Kristina and Molly being around probably would help, but me? I'm just a reminder of the mom they lost, and that's not fair."

"Give me a chance to talk to them. We can have dinner tonight, if they are not okay with the idea of you staying then we will go from there."

"Okay." She agreed.

**Author's note: So, has anyone shed a tear yet? Just wondering. Love reading the reviews. I'm glad to see there's some faithful Time in a Bottle readers. **


	162. Chapter 162

"Morgan." Caitlyn knocked on the door. "Ali needs to be taken out. Would you be willing to help?"

Morgan reluctantly got up to open the door following Ali out. Caitlyn handed him the leash for him to put on the expectant pup. He held the end and followed her outside. "Where's Dante?" He finally asked.

"He just went to the laundry room. He'll be back." She answered. "Did you want to talk to him?"

"I don't know what to say." Morgan admitted. "With Ali I don't have to say anything. She just knows. Her mom went missing too."

"Yes she did."

"And you opened your home to her so she felt safe and taken care of…"

"I hope you feel…"

"I do." He nodded. "I just don't know what I did to deserve this."

Caitlyn held onto Morgan letting Ali run around the front of the building. She was good about staying away from the street and coming when she was called. "You didn't do anything to deserve this. You are a wonderful and thoughtful young man that merits the best that life has to offer; unfortunately horrible things happen, and sometimes they just keep happening. It's not fair and it's not right, but all we can do is draw on our own inner strength and rely on the people that love us to help carry us through."

"Like that poem Dante was telling me about with the footprints?"

"Yeah, just like that." She replied knowing the poem well herself.

"Caitlyn, do you believe in God?" Morgan asked her.

"Oh wow, why do you ask?"

"You don't go to church with us. My mom wasn't Catholic either, but Father Coates said that was okay God loves you no matter what."

"Have you ever heard of the term agnostic?" Caitlyn asked him.

"No." Morgan shook his head.

"It's pretty much the shortened form of 'I don't know', and it's not so much I don't know 'if' as much as I don't know 'what'. There are a lot of different religions out there, and I think the overall message is the same in just about every culture. I'm not sure if I believe any religion has it completely right as far as who God is, what he/she wants, and what happens after life, but the general message of love your neighbor as yourself is a good one."

"Where do you think your mom and dad are?" He asked knowing enough about her to know both were gone.

"I think their energy is in the hearts of those who loved them. I call it energy, you call it soul."

"So you think my mom is right here?" He asked pointing to his heart.

"I do, but what's important is what you think."

"I think I do too."

***********

"Spinelli, do you think you can look at that later? I kind of told Lulu that I would be there after work, and as much as I think she would understand us, well, taking some together she needs all the support she can get and Mac doesn't want me out on the road after dark." Maxie said after meeting up with Spinelli at the Penthouse.

"The humblest of apologies my fairest Maximista, the Jackal has been focusing diligently on the listening mechanism so cleverly placed in the cellular communicatory device of the thoughtful candidate of safe harbor for the Vixonella and her nefarious parental unit." Spinelli explained.

"I know that's important, and it's what Sonny is paying you for, but I think he would understand the natural impulse to help a friend through the grief of losing a loved one. You know, the way you helped me after Georgie died."

"The loss of the Faithful Friend is a burden that consistently plagues those who adored her; the Jackal is honored that the Fair Maximista allowed him into her affection soothing the treacherous ache from both ailing hearts." He held her hands.

"They say pay it forward. I don't know, I thought maybe I could be of some help to Bobbie too. You know, it would kind of be like having B.J. around, right?"

Spinelli nodded. "I am sure the Valkyrie's maternal unit could draw on that sense of proximity in these distressing of times. Allow me to place the renderings on secure halt and we shall be on our way."

Maxie grabbed hers and Spinelli's coats and made her way towards the door to see Jason standing outside.

"Stone Cold, the Jackal and the Fair Maximista were on the course to the abode of the Protector of the Innocent whoever if the master feels the need…"

"Go ahead." Jason responded.

"Are you sure?" Maxie questioned. She fought the urge to comment on his apparent physical state.

"Yeah." He shook it off. "I was just going to wash up and lay down."

"Has Stone Cold sought any hibernation since the news of the Valkyrie's cessation was revealed?"

Jason shook his head no.

"Have you been in contact with anybody?" Maxie questioned to which again Jason denied. "Tomorrow at 11 o'clock there's going to be a memorial service for her."

Jason didn't say anything; he just nodded and allowed Spinelli and Maxie by before going upstairs.

*************

"Sam, what is it?" Lucky asked as he watched her put the receiver down.

"That was my mom; she is picking Kristina up from the airport and then bringing her to Jax' house for dinner." Sam explained.

"You don't seem keen on that idea." He noticed.

"I don't think it's a good idea for Krissy to be in Port Charles, but I guess I understand why she feels she needs to. But… I don't know."

"No; what is it?"

"I know that my mom and Jax have been close since Carly called off the marriage, and I guess it just didn't matter because she was with Jason. But now legally Jax still has the house and is technically still the step-father of Morgan, and Britni's biological father."

"Wait, what? Jax has the house?" Lucky questioned. "Where does Jason fit into all of this?"

"I… I don't know. I mean he has to be feeling his whole life is being ripped apart. Legally the divorce papers were never filed and although the intent was for Jason to propose to her without a marriage license he has no legal standing to fight." Sam replied.

"Where is Jason?"

"He's at the Penthouse." Maxie answered coming through the kitchen entrance with Spinelli. "Without being too tactless; he looks like death, but he did say he was going to rest."

"Stone Cold had just returned from an unknown voyage while myself and the Fair Maximista were departing." Spinelli explained.

"I saw quite a few cars out there." Maxie responded trying to get an idea who was there.

"Lulu, Matt, Lucas, Nikolas, Ethan, Luke, and Bobbie are all inside." Sam answered for her.

"Thank you." Maxie offered.

"We were just about to go back in." Lucky stated showing them through to the entrance to the living room.

Maxie went to give Lulu a hug first and then stopped in front of Bobbie to offer condolences. "I don't know what to say."

"That's okay, just give me a hug." Bobbie offered her.

"I thought it might help having, you know." Maxie responded not wanting to be too presumptuous.

"I appreciate that, and it does, but it's yours now Maxie; BJ's gift, and a reminder to all of us how precious the beating heart is."

"Spinelli thought about bringing over dinner, but I didn't know if anything had been planned." She replied attempting to not be the person to drag everyone down.

"We ordered pizza." Lucas assured her.

"The Valkyrie's most preferred." Spinelli threw in remembering nights at the penthouse after Carly had a rough day. Jason would solve her problems by listening to her talk them through and then put in a frozen pizza as they watched a movie together.

"Yeah." Lulu responded recalling similar memories only in hers she was doing the person doing the venting. Matt squeezed her shoulder a little tighter in support as hers rested on top.

************

"Michael!" Kristina came running into her brother's arms as he stepped out of his vehicle.

"Hey, you look good. LA seems to be treating you well." He noticed a golden tan.

"Southern California in January; I can't complain. Not when I'm fitting math assignments between rides at Universal Studio's."

"And yet you come back to this hell hole?" Michael questioned.

"You know why I came."

"I do, and I think Morgan having you around right now is a great idea; he's going to need that."

"Morgan?"

"Yeah, well, I don't know how long I'm planning on staying myself." Michael explained.

"Where would you be going?" Kristina asked.

"I thought I would start with Australia since that's where the shipwreck happened. It may be a red herring, but you never know."

"What exactly are you looking to find in Australia?"

"My mom." He declared. "Before you say anything; this isn't part of the stages of grief; I'm not in denial…"

"Ah… sure you're not." Kristina replied sarcastically. "You do know what denial is, right? Typically it's the people declaring 'I'm not in denial' that truly are. Michael, you're not going to find your mother."

"Okay, fine. Maybe everyone is right, and I am deluding myself into believing something that isn't remotely possible, but until I know that I can't give up."

"How long is that going to take? How many countries are you going to search? Michael, you can't give up your life…"

"That's what Alyssa said." He cut her off. "But I have to; I have to know that every resource has been tapped into and every lead checked. I can't…"

"What about school; you are this close," she said holding up two fingers, "this close, to getting your high school diploma and graduating with your class which you fought so hard to do."

"I can do it later or take an equivalency. I can't give up on her Krissy." He stated feeling the lump in his throat grow.  
"You can't give up on you either." All she could imagine was Michael losing himself in the obsession of chasing a ghost; he'd be giving up on life, and love for something unobtainable. "What about Morgan and Britni? You can't disappear on them! They have lost enough."

"But what if I can bring her back?" Michael started crying.

Kristina wrapped her arms around him as she felt herself tearing up as well. She wanted so badly to provide him with some comfort. As they stood there holding each other Jax's car pulled up. "Morgan's here." She stated wiping away her own tears.

Morgan was reluctant to consent to the request for dinner until finding out Kristina was home. It wasn't that he had anything against being around Jax. It was just being in that house knowing his mom was gone with all her stuff there was difficult. After getting out of the car he ran up to his sister who lifted him up and spun him around.

"I missed you, bud." She told him.

"Is it safe for you to be here now?" Morgan asked her.

"We'll make it safe. I won't go anywhere without someone being with me."

"I wish mom…"

"I know." Michael said rubbing his back.

"Hey guys do we want to take this inside? I think Alexis is just about done getting everything ready." Jax suggested bringing Britni in with the car seat. The drive to retrieve Morgan from Caitlyn's was enough to finally put her to sleep.


	163. Chapter 163

After passing in and out of consciousness Jason finally got out of bed with the rising of the sun. He grabbed his typical jeans and black cotton t-shirt and headed downstairs. The penthouse was quiet which suggested that Maxie and Spinelli spent the evening elsewhere. Jason was content with that; he figured he would explain later, but it was better now that no one knew what he was up to.

Unfortunately a knock on the door changed that. Jason opened it, and Robin stepped in.

"I heard that you were here; Maxie told me, and I wanted to offer my condolences before the service. Considering our history I thought it best that I stay home with Emma." Robin explained.

"Okay, well, thanks for stopping by." Jason replied.

"Wait a minute, what are you wearing?"

"Ah…" He looked down at his wardrobe.

"Jason, you are aware that it's Carly funeral today?" She prodded.

"Yes, but I'm not going." He stated.

"You're not going?" She questioned. "You self-centered, imprudent, jerk!"

"Whoa, don't hold back. Robin, I can't go. Going is giving in and admitting that she's gone, and I don't believe that. It wasn't up to me to hold this thing in the first place."

"But that's the thing, this isn't about you. Michael and Morgan are going to be stepping into the hardest day of their entire life and they need all the support they can get. Like it or not, Jason, you are one of the most vital people in their life. You can't abandon them because you're in denial."

"They know how I feel." He countered.

"And you think that makes this okay? Trust me, I know what they are going through…"

"Right, but Anna and Robert they're here. The boat exploded and everyone thought…" Jason attempted to explain.

"That doesn't mean I could have gotten through that time without the support of my family." She argued. "Jason, I can't tell you what to do, but I do want to leave you with one question before I go. Your unwillingness to believe, is that because you don't or because you can't?"

Jason watched Robin leave as the question lingered his conscious. It was the very question he had been trying to resolve since the moment he woke up from the dream. Could he handle Carly's death? Could he go on and be the support that her children needed from him? He attempted to assure himself that was Jax' role now. As he was riding he had come so close. He dared himself to drive into the oncoming traffic, and was only seconds away when he took a dive to avoid the truck. The thought that she might be out there; that she might need him brought him back. He had to hold on to that shred of hope.

He looked up to his mantle to see pictures of smiling people staring back at him, and in a moment of frustration Jason grabbed the pool stick closest to him and swung hard knocking each frame to the floor in a cacophony of broken glass. He collapsed to his knees in despair before picking up a photo.

***********

Robert knocked on the door to the Spencer house. It had been over 24 hours since he had seen or spoken to Bobbie, but he had hopes that she would allow him to accompany her to the memorial service. Luke answered the door and stepped outside for a brief chat.

"How is it in there?" Robert asked him.

"Everyone is getting ready. It's quiet, almost too quiet." He admitted. "Were you able to follow up on that information?"

"Yes. I spoke to the owner of the marina in New Zealand where the ship was rented from. He said he rented it to a Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix, and faxed me the rental agreement. Check out the ID."

"That's Jerry, all right. Did he say anything about Carly? Was he able to talk to her?"

"You mean Cora? No. 'Victor' was the one filling out the paperwork; apparently she stayed in the car resting due to jet lag."

"How about the follow up on the search?" Luke questioned.

"I spoke to an old friend of mine at the AFP. When it came out the victims were from a different country it became a federal matter, but they're all saying the same thing. Nobody has turned up in the search. They've sent divers out, but… if you know anything about that area, it's…" Robert attempted to explain without being too graphic.

"What about that area?"

"Rottsnest is on the same string of Islands as bird and seal." He replied.

"So what? It's a natural reserve?"

Robert nodded. "With a high concentration of great white sharks, and Carly was bleeding."

"Do me a favor and don't mention that to Barbara Jean."

"I wasn't planning on it. You mind if we come in from the cold?"

Luke stepped aside to open the door letting them both enter. As Luke had mentioned the place felt eerily calm.

***********

"Does this look okay?" Lucky asked Sam as he placed a tie on his sternum trying to find something that fit with the black suit he was wearing.

"I think the gray one over there works better." She pointed out.

"Do you think you can…?" He requested assistance after grabbing it from the hanger. Sam stood up from the bed to knot the tie for him. "I talked to Olivia she has the caterers coming while we are at the church. Audrey was going to come by this morning and stay here to set up while watching over Britni who I think she was planning on picking up from Jax, or maybe… I know Sonny was in charge of the flowers." Lucky rambled.

"Lucky, that's all taken care of."

"Do we know who's taking the tab for the….?"

"It's taken care of." She assured him. "All we have to do is get ourselves ready and go down to the church."

"The picture; there was that really good one that we were going to have blown up for the alter."

"Yeah, Maxie was going to take care of that this morning. Remember? She knew that guy that does a bunch of work for her with the magazine."

"What about the security? I forgot to call Mac…"

"I talked to Lieutenant Johnson yesterday; it's done. I mean it, all you have to do is…"

"No; there has to be something else, just… I can't..." He started to tear up. Sam allowed him to use her shoulder giving him the opportunity to have the break-down he was waiting almost a week to have. After crying himself hoarse, Lucky sat back at the edge of his bed. "We think we're going to have so much time. I was just starting to get to know her as a friend…"

Sam held his hand. "So was I. After all the pits and potholes we finally seemed to be hitting solid ground."

"It's just not fair."

***********

"Morgan, can I come in?" Kristina asked him.

"Yeah." He answered back.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching a movie; Jason got me this portable DVD player for Christmas." He showed her.

"What movie?"

"Newsies; it's one of mom's favorites." He sniffled. "I just thought that maybe if I watched it, it may feel like mom is here with me."

"Is it working?" Kristina asked him.

"A little bit." He grinned. "Kristina, have you ever been to a funeral before?"

"No; I wanted to go to Emily's to support Nikolas, but mom thought it would be too hard."

"Yeah, mom brought me and Michael over to the Quartermaine's to visit Monica and then we went to Kelly's for root beer floats. She wanted us to do something that was special; that we liked doing with Emily. I went to Gianna's memorial; it was sad because of the memories we didn't get to have with her…"

"And this is hard because of the memories that you did. You know that your mom was my Godmother, right?"

"My mom, Godmother?" He questioned.

"Yeah, I know." Kristina smirked at the sentiment. "Growing up whenever I thought my mom was being too strict or unreasonable I would tell her that I was going to go run away and live with Carly; I was sure that Carly would let me do whatever. Whenever we hung she was really cool; she'd buy me anything I wanted."

"She always wanted a daughter." Michael came into the conversation.

"Yeah, and I think she liked the idea of making Alexis squirm." Morgan giggled.

"And that it did; I'd bring up something Carly got me and then all of the sudden I would get an I-pod." She admitted.

"Did you ever make up stuff?" Michael questioned.

"No; I guess I wasn't that creative. I suppose between your dad and Jax you guys got all sorts of preferential treatment."

"Oh yeah; they tried to one up each other all the time." Michael recalled. "But actually Jax just told me that breakfast was set, and we don't have a lot of time after that to get dressed."

"Pancakes?" Morgan asked him.

"The pigs in a blanket variety." Michael confirmed. Morgan then darted for the dinning room.

"Michael, are you sure that it's okay that mom and I stay here?" Kristina asked once Morgan was gone.

"Yeah, of course. I think Jax is right. You need a safe place to be, and we could use all the family we can get right now."

"Does that mean that you're not going to Australia once this service is over?"

"I don't know. First I have to make it through the service." He replied.

"You will; I'll make sure of it." She assured him.


	164. Chapter 164

"I forgot to ask; how was your first day at work?" Liz asked Zander over breakfast.

"The usual orientation stuff; read through a bunch of handbooks, signed another stack of papers, watched some videos." Zander replied.

"And absolutely none of it sunk in." Liz assumed.

"It's the same information from company to company." He insisted.

"Your boss is okay with you taking today off?"

Zander nodded. "He seemed really supportive."

"That's good. The whole hospital has been trying to rally together. I think Monica as chief of staff has helped with that."

"She was the one that told me about it. She's so worried about Jason and Michael; it's written all over her face."

"People think that Jason doesn't feel anything, but it's exactly the opposite. He cares so much and he wants to do right by the people in his life. This has to be killing him."  
"And you said I was obsessed with Carly." Zander smirked while taking Liz' hand.

"Okay, so maybe I see the side of Jason that you saw in her." She conceded. "But, let's face it, the only people they really let in were each other."

"I'm okay with that." He stoked her hair tucking it behind her ear as she leaned in.

"Me too." She replied.

***********

"I know it's been forever since I've come to visit." Jason said setting down a bouquet of flowers at the Quartermaine crypt. "I saw your picture today, and Em, I really need your help. I don't know if I have the strength to get through today, or tomorrow, or the one after that without it. I always drew on her, and now…

"In the past I've always had that ability to focus my energy on a target; on going after Mr. Craig, finding the text-message killer, tracking down Dr. Ian Devlin. It was enough to distract me long enough. I didn't have to deal with…"

"The immediate shock of losing the person you care most about, and then have to process the realization." Monica cut in. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting, but if you would like to talk to someone that can reply back…"

He nodded patting the spot next to him. Monica sat down and put her arm over her son's shoulder. "It is days like this that make me miss Emily that much more."

"It physically hurts to think that she might be gone forever." Jason responded. "I can't even go there without having to remind myself to breathe."

"I see that you made it far enough to get suited up."

He snickered. "Yeah, I had a good friend tell me what an idiot I was being, and I know I have to be there for the kids, but I feel useless. I mean what good am I going to do for them when I'm falling apart at the seams?"

"Jase, you can't be so hard on yourself. They just need to know you'll be there."

"What if I can't be? The only thing keeping me going right now is my right to my own delusions; that whisper inside of me that Carly is still out there somewhere."

"When Carly was in the coma you mentioned some anomalous occurrences. Has there been any…?"

"Besides witnessing the shipwreck happen? No. I had a dream that night; I swear I was right there. I knew what she was thinking and feeling, and then a wave came up over the side. She was tossed back as the next one hit. When Lucky came to the door I knew exactly what he was going to tell me, but I couldn't make myself believe…"

"Nothing since?"

Jason shook his head no. "And I know what you're going to say."

"I'm not going to say anything. I'm just going to hold my son, and remind him how much I love him." She replied doing just that.

***********

"Somehow I knew I would find you here." Sonny said finding Olivia knelt before a sea of light. "The sanctuary looks amazing."

"I've been here all morning. Maxie just brought the picture by and the flowers they are… beautiful. Thank you."

"You mind if I join you?" He asked causing her to scoot over. "Johnny told me everything; I'm sorry."

"My broken heart will heal. Your boys though…"

"Are going to need all the support they can get. I was hoping you could help me with something."

"What's that?" Olivia questioned.

"I'm asking you because I respect your opinion, but I question what the best thing for Morgan is."

"What do you mean? No!! You're not thinking about going after custody."

"If Candy Boy thinks he can just waltz in there and take my kid…" Sonny argued.

"Sonny, you signed away your parental rights to give your son a safer life. Besides that you can't tell me the best thing for Morgan would be to take him away from Britni."

"That lug hates me; if he has custody I'm never going to be given the chance to see my boy."

"Oh my God, okay, this is not the time to be having this discussion. If you want my honest opinion, then no, I don't think you should fight for custody. I think those kids have enough going on already without the men in their life duking it out over where they should live."

"Morgan spent the other night at his brother's. He didn't want to be under the same roof as Jax." Sonny persisted.

"He had just found out that his mother passed away. He was scared and confused; must I mention that he did run to Dante and not you."

"Ouch." He responded.

"I apologize for being harsh, but you've made some terrible decisions in your life. Decisions you need to deal with, your kids don't. Ever since Michael was shot all Carly wanted was for her kids to feel a certain sense of security; something she believed they couldn't get from you. Don't disrespect her wishes now."

"Mr. Corinthos, Ms. Falconeri." Father Coates called out. "I was just about to open the door."

"Okay." Olivia nodded willing herself to be ready for the day to start.

************

"Audrey, thank you so much for looking after her." Jax said handing off the car seat to her along with the diaper bag.

"It's not a problem; I actually miss having little ones around with Cam and Jake in Paris. She's so precious."

"She's been pretty fussy lately." Jax warned.

"Of course she has; her mama is gone, and everyone else is upset and anxious. Everything is changing and crying is the only way she can express herself." Audrey explained. "It's okay. You go take care of those boys; I'll make sure she's well consoled."

"Wait, can I give her a kiss before she goes?" Morgan requested.

"Absolutely." Audrey held the car seat at his level; Britni's eyelids were gently shut as he gave her a peck on the forehead.

"You be good for Mrs. Hardy, and we'll see you soon." He instructed his sister. Jax rested his hands on Morgan's shoulders watching Audrey transfer Britni into the car.

"Could you tell your brother and sister that it's time?" Jax requested.

"Okay." Morgan agreed.


	165. Chapter 165

Bobbie took a long deep breath before holding Robert's hand and conquering the stairs to the church. "Wait." She said right in front of the door. "I don't think I can do this."

"Grab my arm, and close your eyes." Robert instructed. "Trust me; I'm not going to leave your side."

Heeding his instruction she shut her eyelids and allowed him to guide her to the sanctuary before regaining her sight. People were already congregated inside, bustling around in conversation and retelling favorite memories.

"Bobbie." Mike was the first to approach her with a hug. "She was something extraordinary."

"She really was." Bobbie replied looking at the framed photo at the front. "She would have loved this, too; everyone here, together, talking about her."

"And only the good stuff." Luke smirked coming into the conversation. "Your son did a great job in setting this up."

"Tell him that." Mike pointed out Sonny who was in conversation with Johnny, Dante, and Caitlyn.

"I did; he passed the praise onto Ms. Falconeri." Luke replied.

"Mom, hi." Lucas came over. "I'm sorry I missed you this morning. Lulu brought me and Matt over to the boutique early to pick out some shoes. Apparently after digging through 30 pairs she realized she had nothing that worked. What is that magazine doing to that girl?"

Luke shrugged. "That's just another thing you could have blamed on your sister. It was Carly's idea that she got placed at Crimson in the first place."

"Did I hear my name mentioned?" Lulu came into the discussion.

"Yes. We were just discussing your entrance into the fashion world. Carly put you up to it?" Lucas inquired.

"You didn't know that?" She asked; Matt came over to listen on. "Oh yeah, Carly was uncomfortable with the idea of Jax and Kate going into business together so she used her influence to place me as assistant, well second assistant, Maxie was Kate's choice. We hated each other at that time."

"Now that I remember." Lucas responded.

"Hey Lucas, turn around." Matt directed.

"Why, what?" As he did he saw Joey standing behind him. Lucas threw his arms around his boyfriend. "I had no idea. With classes starting yesterday…"

"I wasn't going to let you go through this without me." Joey interrupted him. "I am so sorry."

"Don't, really…" Lucas held back the tears.

"I should have come that night, it's just the weather was so…"

"I understand. It's okay, you're here now."

"Bobbie, I just wanted to offer my condolences." Edward said as he and Tracy approached. Tracy went over to give Luke a hug.

"How are you holding up?" She whispered to her husband pulling him to the side.

Luke quickly flashed his inner coat pocket to reveal a flask; she nodded even though that wasn't exactly the question she was asking.

"I see that all your children are accounted for." She replied noticing Sam and Lucky talking with Liz, Zander, and Nikolas. Ethan was standing around chatting with Mercedes, Patrick, Spinelli, and Maxie.

"Yeah, well, we were told there was open bar afterwards." He quipped.

She shook her head. "You know you are allowed to mourn; I know you and Carly weren't always on the best of terms but she was your niece."

"And Barbara Jean's daughter, Lucky and Lulu's cousin; right now that needs to be my priority."

Alexis and Kristina hesitantly made their way into the room. Sam and Nikolas both broke away from conversation to greet them. Sam gave her little sister the biggest hug.

"Where did you end up staying last night?" Sam asked her mother.

"In the guestroom at the house." Alexis answered.

Nikolas shook his head. He would have offered Wyndemere but he knew that was a bad idea. "How was your trip?" He asked Krissy instead.

"It was good; I think Molly is just about ready to become a full fledged California girl."

"Oh no, we better stop that." Sam smirked. "If you guys came from the house, where is…?"

As she asked there seemed to be a mass lull in conversation as Jax, Michael, and Morgan walked in. Michael looked around the room as all eyes centered on them; in that moment he wanted to run and hide.

Alyssa was the first to come over.

"Another mental health day?" Michael asked her.

"Yeah, but not mine." She held Michael's hands. "After yesterday I wasn't sure if you were going to come."

"Assuming everyone is right and I'm just stuck in a whole world of denial I thought better of pissing off my mother's ghost. I'm pretty sure she would haunt me forever if I missed her funeral." He replied.

"It looks like the organ is about to pick up if you want to sit down." Alyssa offered.

"Only if you're staying with me."

The organist was stationed at her post as the bell rung the eleventh hour. Everyone moved towards their seat as she started getting ready for the service to begin when Jason and Monica walked into the sanctuary together. It was Morgan who waved Jason towards his place in the front. She squeezed his hand. "I'll be right behind you." Monica promised.

Once the organ stopped Father Coates stepped forward. "I'd like to start by saying on behalf of the Spencer family, thank you all for coming. The life we are commemorating today was filled with such spirit that I don't believe one person could adequately pay homage. To you Carolyn Corinthos-Jacks was a daughter, a wife, or ex-wife." Everyone giggled just a little. "A mother, sister, niece, cousin, and friend. To this world she was a force; she understood what it meant to take life by the horns and just enjoy the ride. Along the way she touched a lot of people, and today I would like to give anyone the opportunity to say a few words."

Father Coates backed away from the pulpit and everyone looked around expectantly. Luke was the first to stand and come forwards. "As the father said; on behalf of the family I would like to say thank you for coming and showing us your support. Most of you know the beginning of my relationship with Carolyn was rocky at best, but I always knew she had the Spencer spirit inside of her. When someone became important to her she would fight with every shred of her being in order to protect them; God forbid anyone crossed her. Spirit like that doesn't dissipate; it doesn't go away, she lived hard, she loved hard, and she died… hard, but she's with us always."

Once Luke sat down Olivia was the next to rise. "I didn't know Carly until recently. I came for a wedding, and truthfully that first conversation with her was all about her trying to dig out some dirt on someone she couldn't stand. Like me, Carly didn't grow up in the most lavish of situation but she took pride in everything she had and became and didn't hide from her humble beginning. What she asked was not to be judged or looked down on, and in turn she wouldn't cast stones against you. You could tell her anything, and she would listen, offering her opinion as you asked or in some cases it was pertinent, but she didn't critique. We connected instantly, and she always said for her that was truly amazing. I know I've heard a lot about her past, what I've seen is a strong woman willing to fight tooth and nail if a situation required, but held herself with dignity and grace in knowing that above all she was a survivor. Luke is right; she's not gone; she'll never be gone completely." Johnny watched her start to crumble as he offered his assistance back to her seat.

"I've only been in town now for the last month," Zander started, "but what I know is how loyal of a friend Carly was. I remember one New Year, we were both trying to get over our own heart break and Carly decided that it was time for me to move on. She set me up on a date, and needless to say it didn't go well. I called it off early and went back to the club Carly was in the process of opening, and we got in a conversation about music that would be good to use at the club, and there was this song. She invited me to dance and when it ended the countdown to midnight started. We moved over to the window and I watched her light up as the fireworks lit the sky overhead. It was always the simple things for her that she never took for granted; and that smile it was, or is enduring." He ended as he really studied the photo.

A few more people stood up to talk about their relationship and memories of Carly. Morgan sat next to Jason leaning against him as Jason's arm reached around the boy. The more people commented on the strength Carly had, the more he wanted to believe that he was right. There was a pause in speeches made when Johnny and Caitlyn looked to each other. A telekinetic conversation brought them both to the alter where Johnny asked to borrow the seat at the organ changing a few of the settings. Caitlyn pulled out her guitar and started in the key of D minor.

Johnny opened up the lyrics to 'Time in the Bottle' as the audience listened on.

"If I could save time in a bottle  
The first thing that I'd like to do  
Is to save every day  
Till Eternity passes away  
Just to spend them with you"

Jason felt himself start to tear up as he imagined him and Carly dancing on the pier the night her heart gave out to that very song. She was saying goodbye, thanking him for everything he had given her, but he couldn't let her go. He grabbed onto her and pulled her back. He had asked her to give him an arm to hoist her up from, and she did, and what he got from it was more time. More time to love and cherish and to hold with him forever.

"If I had a box just for wishes  
And dreams that had never come true  
The box would be empty  
Except for the memory  
Of how they were answered by you"

"But there never seems to be enough time  
To do the things you want to do  
Once you find them  
I've looked around enough to know  
That you're the one I want to go  
Through time with" – Jim Croce

He couldn't handle it anymore. Trying to remind himself to breathe wasn't working. Jason felt suffocated in himself, in the tie, in that room. Luckily Morgan was sitting up, because all he could do was bolt out. He got past the doors in the back of the sanctuary before actually breaking down in the hall. He sat on the same bench as Michael had when he uttered the ghostly 'Mommy's gone' years before and trembled as tears streamed down his face.

~The End… of part I~


End file.
